שופטים, פרק כ׳, פסוק ט׳

As the Israelites finalize their plans to attack the city of Gibeah, they lay out a practical strategy for the upcoming battle. The decision is made to organize the campaign through a lottery system. However, this lottery is not used simply to declare war, but rather to establish a precise division of labor among the people [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].

The drawing of lots determines exactly who will fight on the front lines and who will manage the crucial task of supplying provisions. Through this system, exactly one-tenth of the men, meaning ten out of every hundred or one thousand out of every ten thousand, are selected for logistics and food supply. The remaining nine-tenths are assigned to direct combat. This careful organization is a necessary step, as the fighters have no way of knowing how long the military campaign will last, and they must be fully prepared for an extended stay at the battlefront [רד״ק].