דברים, פרק כ׳, פסוק י״א

In times of war, when an enemy threatens the borders or land of Israel, a bloodless resolution is always offered before the onset of battle [שד״ל]. If a besieged city accepts this call for peace, its inhabitants are spared from death, and the city transitions under full Israelite control [שטיינזלץ]. However, this agreement must be absolute and comprehensive. The inhabitants cannot simply agree to partial terms or offer to pay taxes while remaining barricaded behind their walls. They are required to open their city gates entirely and unconditionally, granting the army unrestricted entry [מלבי״ם, תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו]. There is, however, a specific window for this surrender. While the initial offer of peace is a requirement, some maintain that it is only valid if accepted immediately upon the first call. If a city initially refuses the offer but later attempts to surrender, their submission is no longer accepted [רמב״ן].

The scope of this surrender extends to every single person found within the city. The primary approach among commentators is that this applies even to individuals from the seven Canaanite nations who happen to be residing there. Despite the general commandment to eradicate these specific nations, they may be kept alive if they are part of a city that peacefully surrenders. This leniency is conditional; they must repent, abandon idolatry, and accept the seven Noahide laws [מזרחי, תורה תמימה, צפנת פענח]. This broad inclusion clarifies that sparing their lives is not restricted to individual captives, but also applies to an entire group maintaining its identity within a voluntarily surrendered city. This stands in sharp contrast to an entire Canaanite city that actively chooses to wage war [גור אריה, משכיל לדוד, שפתי חכמים, דברי דוד].

The core conditions of this surrender demand both financial tribute and physical servitude. The inhabitants must accept both stipulations; agreeing to only one renders the surrender invalid [רמב״ן, רש״י, מזרחי, תורה תמימה, ברכת אשר]. The tribute involves a fixed tax imposed by the Israelite king or the Sanhedrin to fund public infrastructure, such as palaces, store-cities, or the Temple. The servitude dictates that any Israelite may hire the inhabitants for manual labor, such as chopping wood and drawing water, in exchange for a fair wage [רמב״ן, ביאור יש״ר]. This model of submission is fundamentally different from simply bribing a powerful king to avoid conflict, as it requires a tangible acceptance of authority. This exact framework was applied to the Gibeonites during the time of Joshua. Unaware of the actual rules of Israelite warfare, they initially used deception to secure a treaty. Ultimately, however, they were made into woodchoppers and water drawers, practically fulfilling the requirements of tribute and servitude [רמב״ן].

On a deeper, conceptual level, this military protocol serves as an allegory for the spiritual struggle to rebuild Jerusalem. The city represents the ruined Jerusalem, which must be reclaimed from forces of impurity. To secure this victory, a call for peace must first be directed inward, toward the nation of Israel itself, uprooting the baseless hatred that originally caused the city's destruction. Only when internal peace is achieved among the people will the Divine Presence answer from heaven. At that point, the opposing forces will be subdued, paving the way for ultimate redemption [אדרת אליהו].