Risking the lives of soldiers to spare civilians on the other side

Hi,

Thoughts on war:

Rabbi Avraham Shapira, War and Ethics, Techumin 4, pg. 182:
When there is no substantive risk to our soldiers, there is no permission to strike lives or property. However, when there is a discernible risk, one must remember that it is not only a matter of weighing one unit opposite a civilian population on the scale. The loss of one unit, or part of it, can affect the entire battle…

Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, Ethics and War, Techumin 4, pg. 185:
The price [of war] is also paid by the enemy, who is also graced with the Divine image, and one should grieve whenever Gd's creations drown in the sea. On this point, the issue of quantity is meaningful, and one certainly must weigh the justifications for harming many in order to save an individual.

Hoping for better news,
Mordechai

Peace first

Hi,

"We may not declare war upon any human being, anywhere, until we first sue for peace. This applies both to 'authorized wars' and 'obligatory wars,' as it is written, 'And when you come close to a city to fight against it, call to it for peace.' Should they make peace and accept the laws in which Noachides are instructed, we would not kill anyone there. We would collect taxes, as it is written, 'They will pay tribute to you, and they will serve you.'"

(Rambam, Hilchot Melachim 6:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

War is for enemies

Hi,

Devarim 23:10 begins, "When you go to war against your enemy". On this, a midrash (Sifri Devarim 190) comments, "You wage war against your enemies."

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains:
"The Torah establishes that you will battle only those who show themselves to be your enemy, from whose enmity you have suffered, and from whom you anticipate acts of enmity. Therefore, even should you attack them, you shall only defend yourself. This message rejects all wars of conquest."

(Commentary of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch to Devarim 23:10)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Take No Prisoners

Hi,

Deuteronomy 20:19 says: When you besiege a city for many days, fighting it to capture it, do not destroy its tree, to raise a hatchet upon it…

On this, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch commented:
"A midrash says: 'To capture it – not to destroy it.' Your goal should be only to subdue the city, not to enslave its residents as prisoners of war."

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Guard your ethical life in a time of war

Hi,

Deuteronomy 23:10-15 says:

"When you go to war against your enemy, guard yourself against every bad thing. When a man among you is impure… he shall leave the camp, he shall not enter the midst of the camp. Before evening he shall bathe in water, and at sunset he shall enter the midst of the camp. And you shall have a place outside the camp; go there, outside.

"And you shall have a peg among your weapons; when you sit outside, you will dig with it, sit, and cover your waste. For HaShem your G-d travels in the midst of your camp, to save you and to put your enemy before you, and your camp shall be holy. Nothing which should be covered will be seen, lest He leave you."

On this, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch comments:
"When you leave the normal boundaries of family and civil life, and you are in a military camp arranged against your enemies, then even though you are in a military camp, where the ethical reins are easily loosened and the actual goal of war is an unrestrained coarseness – then, too, 'guard yourself against every bad thing.' Do not cease examining yourself, with self-control, and be on guard against 'every bad thing.'"

Have a great day,
Mordechai

No iron on the altar

Hi,

The Torah disqualifies stones that have been cut with iron from use for the mizbeiach [altar for offerings to Gd]; according to Sefer haChinuch, this is the fortieth mitzvah in the Torah. There is some debate as to whether we may use stones that were cut before their dedication, but certainly we may not use iron tools to shape the stones once they have been dedicated. (See Tosafot Succah 49a and Minchat Chinuch 40:2.)

Sefer haChinuch explains that iron symbolizes the spilling of blood, as well as general destruction; it is inappropriate to build an altar, the locus of atonement and the site at which blessings and peace are generated, with a destructive tool.

It is noteworthy that we do use iron for other mitzvot. For example, the Rambam ruled that the ideal material for a circumcision knife is iron (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Milah 2:1; see Perishah to Tur Yoreh Deah 264:7 and Chatam Sofer to Shabbat 134b for fascinating related comments).

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A merciful and pragmatic military

Hi,

"We are instructed that when we lay siege to a city, we must leave one of the directions without siege, so that if they wish to flee then they will have a place for flight. This way we will learn to act with mercy even with our enemies in a time of war, and it will also help in that we will give them an avenue to flee and they will not strengthen themselves against us."

מצוה חמישית שנצטוינו כשנצור על עיר להניח אחת מן הרוחות בלי מצור שאם ירצו לברוח יהיה להם דרך לנוס משם כי בזה נלמוד להתנהג בחמלה אפילו עם אויבינו בעת המלחמה ובו עוד תקון שנפתח להם פתח שיברחו ולא יתחזקו לקראתינו...

(Ramban to Sefer haMitzvot, Added Aseh 5)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Justice is the end of war

Hi,

"If there will be war or complaints between nations, they will come before Mashiach for justice, for he will be master of all nations, and he will teach them, telling the one who is crooked, “Straighten out that which has been made perverse for your plaintiff.” Therefore there will be no war between nations, for he will make peace between them and they will not need weapons."

(Radak to Michah 4:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

How to besiege a city

Hi,

"We are instructed to leave a direction open, unsieged, when we besiege a city, so that they should have the means of flight. This way we will learn to act with mercy even upon our enemies in war. Also, this is advantageous in opening a path through which they will flee, rather than strengthen themselves against us."

(Ramban to Sefer haMitzvot, Omitted Aseh #5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The invasion of Canaan

Hi,

"What did Yehoshua do? He spread messages wherever he went to battle, writing, 'One who wishes to depart may depart, one who wishes to make peace may make peace, and one who wishes to make war may make war.'"

(Midrash, Devarim Rabbah 5:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The power of Amen

Hi,

"Rabbi Yosi said: One who replies 'Amen' is greater than the one who recites the blessing itself.

"Rabbi Nehorai said: Heavens! This is certainly true, for rank-and-file soldiers are the ones who start wars, and the mightier warriors are the ones who win them."

(Talmud, Nazir 66b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Personal Morality and Collective Morale

Hi,

On the issue of disobeying a military order as a matter of conscience, and the effect it may have on collective morale:

R’ Aharon Lichtenstein, 8/16/05 letter to R’ Avraham Shapira
With respect to values and principles that divide Israeli society, regarding which there is no consensus defining a particular initiative as patently illegal and immoral, selective refusal of orders is impossible. Refusal on the right invites refusal on the left, and vice versa. The result is a divided and disjointed army, part of which dissents and abstains from an initiative in one direction, and the other rejects initiatives in the opposite direction. The damage to the unity and cohesion of the army and to the readiness for mutual dedication and sacrifice is clear. And as a result, the IDF’s ability to carry out its missions and its power of deterrence
are eroded. One need not be a great general or statesman to understand the possible implications.

R’ Avraham Sylvetsky (grandson of Rav Shapira), 8/23/05 response to R’ Aharon Lichtenstein
Even if we disregard the underlying assumption upon which Kevod Torato’s question is grounded, surely in the case at hand the matter is even simpler. For Kevod Torato’s concern regarding an impairment of the strength of the IDF is shrouded in fog and not at all clear. Surely, Kevod Torato, shelita, would agree that it is almost an insult to the intelligence of the IDF soldiers that we should be concerned that they will draw an analogy from refusing orders on religious grounds to refusing orders in other contexts.
Moreover, irrespective of the religious aspect, is it not demeaning to our soldiers to assume that they are incapable of distinguishing between an order given during wartime as part of the defense efforts against the enemy and an order calling for an assault upon the property and lives of their Jewish brothers? Every soldier understands the difference between an order given in the context of the fulfillment of the role and mission of the Israeli army—defending the citizens of Israel against the enemy, regardless of the soldier’s personal political views—and an order that would not normally fall upon the IDF, and had never been included in the purpose for its establishment, and only because of technical difficulties was given over to the IDF, which is serving in this context as a manpower agency. It is exceedingly difficult for me to accept this diminution of the moral and intellectual level of our soldiers, as if they are incapable of making such simple and elementary distinctions.

(Tradition 40:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The authority of a military commander

Hi,

"There is no greater rodef [murderous pursuer] than one who causes the Jewish people to fall in battle… And this is what Reuven and Gad meant when they said to Yehoshua, “If anyone will rebel against your say and not listen to your word for all you command, he will die; only be strong and courageous.” Why would this person be liable for death? Yehoshua was not a king, but a shofet [justice]! Further, why would matters of the throne be of concern for Reuven and Gad? Those are for the entire nation!

"Rather, this was relevant for wartime, since Yehoshua was gathering the nation for war. The commander for war, at that moment, fills the role that a king fills at all times… And if anyone would rebel against Yehoshua’s say, for any mission, that would weaken the heart of Yehoshua, and there could be no greater act of undermining the Jewish nation in their war with the Canaanites. This person would be a rodef and would be liable for death."

(Netziv, Haamek She’eilah Vaetchanan 142:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

It's the thought that counts

Hi,

When the Jews who had just escaped Egypt were attacked by Amalek, they fought back under the leadership of Yehoshua, while Moshe prayed to HaShem.

The Torah says (Sh'mot 17), 'When Moshe raised his hands, the Jews were victorious. When Moshe rested his hands, Amalek was victorious.' On this, the Talmud comments:

"Did Moshe's hand make war or break war?! Rather, as long as the Jews looked heavenward and bound their hearts to their Father in heaven, they were victorious. Otherwise, they fell."

(Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 29a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Yom haZikaron

Hi,

Yom haZikaron, on which Israel commemorates those who have fallen in its defense, is observed on the 4th of Iyyar - Monday night and Tuesday.

"And when you go to war in your land against the attacker who attacks you, you shall blow on the trumpets. You will be remembered before HaShem, your Gd, and you will be saved from your enemies."

(Bamidbar 10:9)

Be well,
Mordechai

War as Punishment, or perhaps Consequence?

Hi,

"War comes into the world when there is delayed judgment and perverted justice, and when the Torah is taught incorrectly."

(Pirkei Avot 5:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Prayer and Battle

Hi,

"It is written (Bereishit 48), 'And I [Jacob] am giving you the portion of Shechem...which I took from the Emorites with my sword and with my bow.'

"But did Jacob take Shechem with his sword and with his bow?! It is written (Psalms 44), 'I will not trust my bow, and my sword will not save me!'

"Rather, Jacob's sword was his prayer on behalf of his children who were fighting, and his bow was his request from Gd."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 123a, as explained in Rashi's commentary)

Have a great day,
Mordechai