On December 8th, at Noon, my weekly Lunch 'n Learn seminar goes on the road to Agudath Sholom in Stamford. This year, Rabbis Cohen, Sklarz and I, have once again presented a rabbinic panel series on different rabbinic perspectives. This year's topic was Israel, and on Wednesday we will be speaking on our perspectives for the prospects of Peace.
While I don't want to give away my entire presentation, I will provide a preview:
This week we observe Chanukah; our festival of lights. Chanukah is a celebration of God's light within our world. We believe that we diminish God's light with our acts of violence and inhumanity, and conversely, we increase God's light when we pursue love, mercy and peace.
The fundamental teaching of our sacred tradition is to be Rodeph Shalom; a "Pursuer of Peace".
The Hebrew word Shalom comes from the Hebrew root to mean "whole" or "complete". There cannot be peace unless there is a state of wholeness. We pursue at all times: Shalom Bayit --wholeness within our homes; Shalom Yisrael - wholeness amongst the household of the Jewish People; and Shalom Aleinu V'al Kol HaOlam; wholeness amongst all of us and upon all of humanity. Shalom is fundamental to our core Jewish belief system and is understood as obtaining the highest good.
A few of our "Shalom" Sacred Proof Texts God promised Abraham he would come to his fathers in peace. (Genesis 15:15)
Joseph blessed Pharaoh with peace. (Genesis 45:27) Jethro sent Moses in peace and greeted him in peace. (Exodus 4:18 & 18:7) The standard Hebrew greeting is peace. (Genesis 29:6; 45:27; Esther 9:30) One of God's greatest blessings is peace in the land. (Leviticus 26:6) God gave Pinchas His covenant of peace. (Numbers 25:12)
The priests bless the people with peace. (Numbers 6:26) God desires Shalom (PEACE) and abhors war. The vision of our messianic hopes is expressed by the prophet Isaiah: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning-hooks, and nation will not raise the sword against nation, and they shall no longer learn war." (Isaiah 2:4)
That Jews desire PEACE/SHALOM as the ideal should be first and forefront on our minds. And yet, we do not live lives of idealistic naiveté. Peace is the constantly desired result of all parties desiring a state of wholeness and fairness. Peace is not one side contracting their needs without compromise, or simply giving in on their needs. The desire for peace does not supersede our responsibility to live safely and in security.
Chanukah is a celebration of God's light in our lives. But, it also is a reminder that when necessary you fight to live freely and securely. The Maccabees waged war because to have not done so would have been the end of the Jewish People.
All peoples have the right to self-defense. This means that while it is always with terrible sadness and horror, at times war must be waged. The Torah and the Talmud notes that: "if someone is coming to kill you, and the only way to stop them is kill them first, then you are obligated to protect your life." (Exodus 22:1 & Berachot 5a)
Jewish-"Just War Theory" is not interested in waging war for the sake of war, rather, to fight when necessary so as to be safe and secure. The primary enemy that God commands war to be fought against is the Amalekites; unrepentant murderers who targeted the innocent. Biblical Israel was commanded to fight without restraint against such people.
The other enemies of Israel; such as the Edomites, Moabites, and Amnonites; our spiritual ancestors were to restrain themselves against their enemies, fighting if only attacked first. Even then, the Israelites were to try and first "make Peace".
Jewish law prohibits the justification for war as primarily being able to gain more territory and material resources. The moral justification for war is for self-preservation, and to then be able to live a life by which we can radiate God's light within the world.
With the modern conflict with our Jewish State of Israel, we are to forever be mindful of our ultimate desire for Shalom/Peace. However, we cannot pursue a course that would create a situation in which our safety and security was compromised. Nor can there be an agreement with any authority that is unrepentant murderers who target the innocent. One does not negotiate for the "right to exist", and in fact this enemy is the one who is fought with the Maccabeean spirit.
May God give us the wisdom and faith to pursue both justice and peace with unwavering resolve.
Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Mitch
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