How should Jews think of war?

(RNS)– At the Thanksgiving table, the discussion rapidly turned to the war.

Somebody asked me: “Is all of it right for us as Jews to state that we are upset about the deaths in Gaza?”

And, too, to reveal rage about the shooting deaths of 3 Palestinian university student in Burlington, Vermont, in addition to the killing, numerous weeks back, of the Palestinian American kid in the Chicago location (neither, let me state, at the hands of Jews)?

Here is how I reacted. “Yes, we can definitely state we grieve with all households who have actually lost liked ones.”

I quickened to include: “Full stop. End the sentence right there. No ‘buts,’ as in ‘But, naturally, Hamas is to blame for those deaths. …’ As anyone who comprehends interaction would understand, the minute you place a ‘however’ into a sentence, it negates whatever that came before it. Our fact is: These deaths are awful.”

How do I understand that? Since for the last more than 40 years, I have actually been teaching Torah and Jewish texts.

This is what I have in my doctrinal back pocket.

I have a custom that states: “When you experience your opponent’s ox or ass roaming, you need to take it back. When you see the ass of your opponent lying under its problem and would avoid raising it, you should nonetheless assist raise it.” (Exodus 23:4 -5)

I have a custom that states: “If your opponent falls, do not exult; if he journeys, let your heart not rejoice.” (Proverbs 24:17)

I have a custom that states, in a midrash, that when the angels saw the Egyptians drowning in the Red Sea, they got into tune. God rebuked them, stating: “My kids are drowning, and you are singing?!?”

I have a custom that simply takes place to resonate today, with this specific Torah reading.

The patriarch Jacob is getting ready for a reunion with his sibling, Esau, from whom he has actually been separated for several years. The estrangement had actually happened through Jacob’s actions: First, he had actually persuaded Esau into offering his due as the earliest child; 2nd, Jacob had actually tricked his blind daddy, Isaac, and had actually taken the true blessing meant for the earliest boy. Esau had actually threatened to eliminate Jacob. Jacob had actually been required to get away from his sibling’s rage, and from his household.

Jacob has actually found out about life the difficult method. He left to his household’s homeland in Aram-Naharaim, and there his uncle Laban tricked him, offering him Leah as a spouse rather of Rachel, for whom he then needs to work an extra 7 years. In the occurring years, Jacob has a household. He prospers in flocks and herds.

The incomplete organization of Jacob’s life has actually overtaken him. Jacob will reunite with Esau. Jacob understands he needs to make peace with him and he is terrified.

How does he feel? “Jacob was significantly terrified; in his stress and anxiety, he divided individuals with him …” (Genesis 32:8). Actually: “Jacob was extremely scared and he was likewise terrified.” We may likewise state that he was frightened, even frightened.

Why does not the text simply state Jacob was terrified? Why must it include that he was nervous? Isn’t that redundant?

Here is how the excellent middle ages analyst, Rashi, discussed it: “Jacob hesitated that he may be eliminated, and he hesitated that he would need to eliminate.”

What do we gain from this? Judaism is not a pacifistic custom, though some would utilize Jewish sources to declare pacifism. Judaism comprehends that war is constantly dreadful, and often needed. As much as we would not wish to be eliminated, so, too, we do not wish to eliminate.

Or, to put it in a different way: Sometimes, we see war as an outright need however we do not take any enjoyment in it.

A memory from my youth. I am most likely 10 years old. It is spring. My household is taking a seat to supper, and we hear the noises of fifes and drums wafting through the air.

I asked my moms and dads: “What is that?”

My dad addressed me: “Those are the Colonials. They dress up like Revolutionary War soldiers and they march around the schoolyard. They are practicing for the Memorial Day parade.”

This sounded terrific. This is specifically what I wished to do! I asked my moms and dads: “Can I join them?”

My mom took a look at me over her glasses, and she stated, plainly and crisply: “No.”

“Why not?” I opposed. “It seems like enjoyable! I wish to discover how to play the drums.”

To which my mom responded: “We do not do that.”

It was among the developmental minutes of my youth, and years later on, I would pertain to comprehend what she indicated.

War is typically required however we do not glorify it. We do not do that.

It took me years to comprehend who the “we” was.

It was us– the Jewish individuals.

My mom was. The last military parade in Israel remained in 1973, to honor Israel’s 25th anniversary. That was half a century earlier.

Even when we needed to battle, we did not commemorate those acts of combating. In basic, Israeli poems and tunes about war do not glorify those wars; rather, they grieve the losses.

Think about Shalom Hanoch’s tune”Avshalom,” which grieves the loss of his nephew in the Six-Day War.

One day, one day

There he was born to walk in the forest

And an embroidery from strings of gold, a little prince

A stepmother and a white horse …

A 2nd memory– this time, from pop culture, and from my own experience as a moms and dad.

It was several years earlier, and my boy had to do with 6 years of ages. We were enjoying among my preferred films– “Patriot Games” with Harrison Ford as CIA expert Jack Ryan. A band of terrorists, a dissenting group from the IRA, has actually targeted Ryan’s household.

In among my preferred scenesthe CIA has actually traced the group to terrorist training school in north Africa. The CIA sends out in a force that eliminates the majority of the terrorists, while Ryan and his previous CIA remarkable, Vice Admiral James Greer (played by James Earl Jones), see it take place on a satellite feed. It is quick and deadly. Ryan is transfixed by what he sees on the screen; his expression, solemn.

At the end of the operation, Greer takes a deep breath and states, silently: “It’s over,” and leaves the space.

My young boy asked me: “Why is that male so unfortunate?”

This is how I addressed him: “Because it is horrible to eliminate individuals, even in war, and there are times when you need to do it. Even when you have to do it, it ought to make you unfortunate.”

My mom was right, therefore was Admiral Greer. Yes, “there is a time for war, and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8), and horrifically, unfortunately, we have actually been brought into a time for war.

When it comes to the requirement of battling, I am sticking with Rashi. Hesitate that you will be eliminated; be similarly scared that you will need to eliminate.

That is my (Jewish) story, and I am staying with it.