“When you go out to war against your enemy … and you take them captive …” (Devarim, 21:10) (What is taken captive is) the good that exists in that nation. There is a good power in every nation, yet all the while it is among them it is in captivity. Then when it comes into Israel, it becomes good in its completeness. The good that exists with them is the desire. Any real power in that good is only temporary, yet the desire that is with them comes from the understanding that the power is lacking in completeness. and must be brought into Israel. Thus, all the while that the desire is among them it is in captivity, for the power of desire comes only from God, and does not pertain to them, only to Israel.
כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אוֹיְבֶיךָ כוּ' וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ. הַיְינוּ הַדָּבָר הַטּוֹב הַנִּמְצָא בְּהָאוּמָּה, כִּי בְּכָל הָאוּמּוֹת נִמְצָא כֹּחַ טוֹב, אַךְ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהִיא בֵּינֵיהֶם הִיא בְּשִׁבְיָה אַךְ כְּשֶׁיָּבֹא לְבֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה הַטּוֹב בִּשְׁלֵימוּת, וְהַטּוֹב הַנִּמְצָא בָּהֶם הוּא הַתְּשׁוּקָה, כִּי מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ בְּכֹחָם מַמָּשׁ בְּאֵיזֶה טוֹבָה זֹאת אֵינוֹ רַק לְפִי שָׁעָה, אַךְ הַתְּשׁוּקָה הַנִּמְצָא בָּהֶם שֶׁיָּבִינוּ שֶׁזֶּה יֶחְסַר לָהֶם זֶה צָרִיךְ לְהַכְנִיס לְתוֹךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָל זְמַן שֶׁהַתְּשׁוּקָה הַזֹּאת הִיא בֵּינֵיהֶם הִיא בְּשִׁבְיָה כִּי כֹּחַ הַתְּשׁוּקָה אֵינוֹ רַק מֵהַש"י וְזֶה אֵין שַׁיָּךְ לָהֶם רַק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.
“When you go out to war against your enemy … and you take them captive …” (Devarim, 21:10)
(What is taken captive is) the good that exists in that nation. There is a good power in every nation, yet all the while it is among them it is in captivity. Then when it comes into Israel, it becomes good in its completeness. The good that exists with them is the desire. Any real power in that good is only temporary, yet the desire that is with them comes from the understanding that the power is lacking in completeness. and must be brought into Israel. Thus, all the while that the desire is among them it is in captivity, for the power of desire comes only from God, and does not pertain to them, only to Israel.