The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrashim on the Book of Deuteronomy, tackles this very feeling in a fascinating way.

It starts with the verse from Deuteronomy (20:1): "When you go out to war against your foes…" Seems straightforward. But the Sifrei Devarim immediately points out that this isn't talking about a mandatory war, a milchemet mitzvah, but rather an optional one. A war you choose to fight. That distinction alone changes everything, doesn’t it?

Then comes a powerful reminder: "against your foes": (Remember that) it is against your foes that you are warring." It’s a subtle but crucial point. Don’t get lost in the grand strategy, the fear, the noise of battle. Remember who you're fighting and why.

But the real depth comes with the line, "and you see horse and chariot." The Sifrei Devarim doesn't just gloss over this detail. It dives into it. "Just as they go out against you with horse and chariot, so, you go out against them with horse and chariot." Okay, makes sense. Fight fire with fire. But then it gets… weird. "Now do they have only one horse? Is it not written 'a great host'?" The text seems to be saying: don't take the words literally. The enemy doesn't have just one horse. They have legions! So what’s going on here?

The Sifrei Devarim offers a stunning interpretation: "when Israel do the L-rd's will, they are all reckoned as one horse."

Wow. Let that sink in.

When the people of Israel are unified, when they are aligned with the Divine will, they become… one. A single, powerful force. It’s not about the number of soldiers, the sophistication of the weaponry, or the size of the enemy's army. It's about unity and purpose.

The text reinforces this with another example, referencing the splitting of the Red Sea. "Horse and its rider He has cast into the sea." (Exodus 15:1). Was there only one horse? Of course not! As it says in Exodus 14:7, "And he (Pharaoh) took six hundred choice chariots…" Again, the point is that when Israel is united and following God's will, they are seen as one entity, a force to be reckoned with, even against overwhelming odds.

What does this mean for us today? We may not be facing literal wars with horses and chariots. But we face challenges – internal and external – that can feel overwhelming. Perhaps the Sifrei Devarim is reminding us that our strength isn't just in our individual abilities, but in our unity, our shared purpose, and our connection to something larger than ourselves. When we act in accordance with what's right, when we strive for justice and compassion, we, too, can become "one horse," a force capable of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.