Comments on: “Cursed Be He That Keepeth Back His Sword From Blood.”

By: Ross

Ross — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:29:11 +0000

I think Jeremiah 48 is referring to the Babylonians attacking Moab. In the prophet’s worldview, when a nation does wrong to Israel, God can take vengeance through another nation’s army (which in turn gets slaughtered by another nation for its sins and so on…). But for Israel to fight would be idolatry since it means placing our faith in human hands instead of in God’s salvation.
There is a midrash (Genesis Rabbah 68:14) that conveys a related idea of israel standing aside from the nations when it comes to war. Rabbi Kalonymos Kalmish Shapira refers to it in his Torah Commentary written in the Warsaw ghetto November 18, 1939.
“The angels who were going up and down on the ladder in Jacob’s dream were lords representing the nations of the world, who rise and fall. When there is war between these lords, one rising and trying to push the other down and vice versa, then the Jew stands in the greatest need of the mercy of heaven.”

By: Mike Okrent

Mike Okrent — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:53:14 +0000

As we approach Hanukah, it is worth noting how the narrative of the festival is told. Namely, the last part where the Maccabees did not hold back their swords is greatly downplayed and not traditionally endorsed by the rabbinate. One reason for this relates to zealotry. Zealotry presumes you know the true voice of the Almighty and He has directed you to show no mercy. This was deemed an anathema because who among us can claim to know the absolute truth that allows one to take a life of an individual (or multitudes) created in the image of the Almighty. Many zealots, including the Taliban, also claim this knowledge.
We must also remember the Israel is a political state whose policies are set by humans with imperfect knowledge.

By: YBD

YBD — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:44:21 +0000

Einav and Regev fear that, because of the large number of religious soldiers in the IDF, the IDF will soon be fighting “holy wars”. Apparently they don’t understand that in Israel, like all other democracies, the army doesn’t decide what wars to fight but rather the government does. All armies, with religious or secular soldiers tell them in wars to fight to win.

Even secular countries give religous encouragement to their soldiers. In the movie “The Longest Day”, which gives true stories about the D-Day invasion by the Allies of Normany in France during the Second World War, there is a scene where a British paratrooper sees someone bobbing up in down in the water of a stream. He inquires what is going on and it turns out that it is the Catholic chaplain of his unit who lost his communion set. The paratrooper helps him find it, and when they do the chaplain says “okay lad, let’s go do the Lord’s work”. In other words the chaplain believed and told the paratrooper that the Lord wanted them to fight the Germans and defeat them. And this is in the secular British Army. He DIDN’T say “well, you know that we have our narrative, and the Germans have theirs, who’s to say which is right, there is no such thing as an absolute truth….blah, blah, blah.”

If Einav and Regev thing there are too many religious combat soldiers in the IDF, then I suggest that they encourage their secular friends to sign up for combat units and not try to avoid conspriction or get cushy “jobnik” desk jobs. Everyone admits religious soldiers are good soldier, very disciplined and LESS likely to commit breaches of discipline which could lead to atrocities. General Dagan says that in a holy war “there are no limits”. I could say the opposite…with secular people there are no limits. Who says Dagan has a monopoly on morality? In fact, secular officers want religious soldiers in their units.
So I don’t think there are any grounds to be worried.

By: Steve Grover

Steve Grover — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:42:59 +0000

A big right on to the IDF Rabbis. This saves the lives of our heroic IDF. You cannot have doubts as a soldier or you will be killed in combat.

We all want peace except the Arabs. That is why there is no peace. Support the IDF and it’s Rabbis spiritually and financially. Veterans day just passed. I suggest every shul in the U.S. honor U.S. Army and IDF veterans in some way.