The Jewish Approach to War | Behaalotecha 5784

One of the most challenging things today, especially as Israel is eight months into the war, is what is the religious, Torah perspective of war? How should we view the harsh and difficult circumstance of going to war: we need to defend ourselves, G-d forbid having to kill people, including unfortunately civilians which are never targeted by Israel but sometimes caught in the attempts to save lives, release hostages and kill terrorists. How do we put this into a spiritual perspective?
In this week’s parasha we are told to make two silver trumpets, which we are to blow to gather the troops to go to war - the same trumpets that are used in the service in the Temple at the time of sacrifices. In fact, the Rambam counts this as one mitzvah, the same trumpets used to gather people for war and for sacrifices. Rav Moshe Feinstein said that this doesn’t apply today, because the trumpets used for war must be the same ones used in the Beit HaMikdash. We see an incredible principle - wars to be fought are a spiritual endeavor, not something only for physical and security measures, they are something that stem from the deepest, spiritual principles. When we go out to war, we have to know that the trumpets calling us to war are the same trumpets used in the Beit HaMikdash, as an extension of the service of Hashem. The harsh and tragic reality of war is the need to fight for our values, to defend the values that are most important to us.
In addition, every time we take out and put back the Torah, we read the verses from this week’s parasha - the verses said when the Jewish people go out to war and take the Aron out with them. From this we see the values of Hashem that are defended in war are not only the survival of the Jewish people but also the values that we believe in. Therefore, we see the battles of the Jewish people are the battles of G-d. It is a battle against the barbaric, dark values by those who portray the beauty and G-dliness of life.

[@RuthGeller-q5z]

Thank you, Rabbi, from an American Jew.

[@conflu3nceellison810]

May your son's Neshamah have an Aliyah Gedola. Shabbat Shalom

[@невашеделовообщеневашедело]

Stop using words without knowing the right context

[@joel4535]

Quite a thought on the trumpet but it is only a compliant tool.