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Shabbat Balak: What the Torah Teaches Us About Waging a Moral War
A Torah scroll. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
In our current section of the Torah, as the tribe of Israel makes its way towards the Promised Land, they encounter three very different situations that cast light on the attitude towards war and its conventions. The rules that applied 3,000 ago regarding the Canaanites no longer apply today — and it would be ridiculous to compare their standards to ours today.
Many of the conventions and rules we take for granted are recent — and states and groups still excel in the sort of barbarism even the ancients avoided (Hamas is case in point). Nevertheless, there are lessons we can learn.
Moses sent messengers to Edom, the descendants of Esav, asking for safe passage through their land (Numbers 21:21-22). He was expecting a positive response given the family connection, but Edom refused and sent a large army to block them. Israel decided not to fight and was forced to detour. The Canaanites saw this as a sign of weakness — so they attacked and took captives.
This time, Israel responded with force and destroyed their cities. Yet despite the victory, there was rebellion in the Israelite camp. Internal politics was a problem even then, as both sides argued about tactics.
When Israel requested passage from Sichon, King of the Amorites, a similar approach was taken. However, when Sichon came out to fight, the Israelites were commanded to destroy him completely, as was later done with Og, King of Bashan. Finally, they meet the Midianites, who present a much more serious existential challenge.
The Book of Devarim expands on this narrative to include Moav and the Ammonites descendants of Lot. One sees a reluctance to fight them as well as Edom, because they were both descendants of Abraham’s family. One wonders if Palestinians today ought to count as family.
In the 40th year of their journey, the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying: “Let me pass through your country.” “Then I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to King Sichon of Heshbon with an offer of peace (Deuteronomy 2:26).”
Moses’ offer of peace to the Amorites seems to contradict an earlier direct Divine command. God told Moses, “See, I give into your power Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin the occupation; and engage him in battle (Devarim 2:24).” The purpose of having the Israelites convincingly defeat the Amorites was as a deterrent.
“This day I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under Heaven (Devarim 2:25).” Victory against the mighty and renowned Sihon would elevate the Israelites’ martial reputation in advance of their expected war with the Canaanite nations that they had been told by God to dispossess.
God’s instruction for the Israelites to wage an aggressive and unprovoked war against the Amorites stands in contrasts with avoiding provoking the Edomites ( Devarim 2:5) and refraining from harassing the Moabites (Ibid 2:9) and Ammonites (Ibid 2:19).
Approval of Moses’ actions is implicit in the Torah’s subsequent legislation about warfare. “When you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace (Ibid 20:10).” Later Joshua followed the precedent set by Moses and extended an offer of peace to the nations living in the Land of Canaan. Joshua gave them the choice to leave voluntarily, make peace, become a tributary, or wage war. The Girgashites evacuated to Africa, the Gibeonites made peace, and the 31 other Canaanite potentates waged war and lost (Yerushalmi Shevi’it 36c).
Throughout Jewish history, some authorities have favored pacifism, from secular Brit Shalom in Mandate Palestine to Satmar Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum. And one can find passages from rabbinic literature of those who wish to steer Jewry away from militarism.
And yet, sometimes war is a necessity for survival. These examples of different strategies and reasons for war, illustrate the complexity of warfare and the danger of seeing them all as equally bad.
World Jewry and the modern State of Israel follow Moses’ example. We have our emissaries who talk to the adversary, who seek to avoid conflict or resolve it. But when talks fail, the armed forces stand ready to achieve victory. But if we are forced into war, we regret the loss of all lives and we are commanded to preserve our sense of humanity and mercy whenever we can.
The author is a writer and rabbi, based in New York.
The post Shabbat Balak: What the Torah Teaches Us About Waging a Moral War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: IDF Probes Whether Houthis Used Iranian Cluster Bomb-Bearing Missile
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The Israeli military said Saturday it launched a probe into the failure of its defenses to fully intercept a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi jihadists, parts of which struck not far from the Ben Gurion airport on Friday night.
According to the Ynet website, one of the hypotheses being examined is that the projectile contained cluster munitions, similar to those used by Iran to fire at Israeli cities during the 12-day war in June. Cluster munitions pose a challenge to interceptors as they disperse smaller explosives over a wide area.
In June, Iran fired several missiles carrying scattered small bombs with the aim of increasing civilian casualties.
The IDF said on Saturday that its initial review suggests the ballistic missile from Yemen likely fragmented in mid-air. Five interceptors from various systems engaged with the missile, including THAAD, Arrow, David Sling & Iron Dome.
Authorities said that shrapnel impacted a house in the central Israeli moshav of Ginaton, yet no one was hurt, with the fragment landing in the house’s backyard.
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Iran Forces Kill Six Militants, IRNA Reports, Israel Link Seen
The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 3, 2023. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iranian security forces shot dead six militants in a clash in southeastern Iran on Saturday, a day after armed rebels killed five police officers in the restive region, the official news agency IRNA reported.
IRNA said evidence showed the group was linked to Israel and may have been trained by Israel‘s Mossad spy agency. There was no immediate Israeli reaction to the allegation.
Another two members of the militant group were arrested, the report said. All but one of the militants were foreign, it added, without giving their nationality.
Iranian police said this month they had arrested as many as 21,000 suspects during the 12-day war with Israel in June.
Iran’s southeast has been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy.
Tehran says some of them have ties to foreign powers and are involved in cross-border smuggling and insurgency.
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Benny Gantz Urges Time-Limited National Unity Government to Further Chances of Hostage Deal
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz attends his party’s meeting at the Knesset, Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz on Saturday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition politicians to form a temporary national unity government to further the chances of bringing home the hostages held in Gaza.
Addressing Netanyahu, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman, Gantz said that the proposed government’s two supreme priorities would be the release of Israeli hostages held by the jihadists of Hamas and instituting universal conscription in Israel by ending the exemption from military service enjoyed by the ultra-Orthodox.
Upon attainment of the goals, the government would dissolve and call an election.
“The government’s term will begin with a hostage deal that brings everyone home,” Gantz said in a video address. “Within weeks, we will formulate an enlistment outline that would see our ultra-Orthodox brethren drafted to the military and ease the burden on those already serving. Finally, we will announce an agreed-upon election date in the spring of 2026 and pass a law to dissolve the Knesset [Israeli parliament] accordingly. This is what’s right for Israel.”