Limiting the Pain of War

Rabbi Melanie Aron

Saturday, July 23, 2011

My husband’s grandmother was very active in her congregation in Cape Cod, and so we became close to her rabbi. Since her death, her rabbi, Harold Robinson, left that congregation and became a military chaplain. Every Friday, he sends me and other rabbis around the country a list of the names, ages, and home states of all those who died in service to their country that week. This past week 13 men and woman ranging in age from 19 to 49 were killed, the week before there were 9 losses, the week before that there were 17. Without his email I don’t think I would be quite as aware of the ongoing toll of war, and the sacrifices a small group of families are making, and I believe that is why he sends it.

Of all the sections in his Torah portion, Kevin chose to focus his talk on the description of the Israelites war to conquer the land we know today as the Golan Heights. It remains good land for cattle, and also land that is hard fought. There are amazing stories from the Israeli battles for this area in 1967. Part of their success was due to the help they received from a spy, Eli Cohen, who convinced the Syrians to plant eucalyptus trees to shade all of their bunkers. On my recent trip to Israel this past June, I saw a moving film about the sacrifices made by young soldiers in the surprise attack of Yom Kippur 1973, trying to hold the line, until air support and reinforcements arrived.

Jewish tradition does not minimize the pain and loss associated with war, but it doesn’t outlaw war either. Instead, Judaism instituted some rules to try and make warfare more humane. First, Jewish law demands that before going to war, one must attempt to resolve the issue by negotiation. We saw that in the Haftarah we read a few weeks ago, the story of Jepthah, a former gang leader and hooligan, who becomes a leader of the ancient Israelites. Even he tries to negotiate with the Ammonites before heading out to battle.

Second Judaism provides for an exemption from military service for those who have the most to lose at that particular moment, like someone who is newly married and hasn’t yet had a chance to live with his wife. Third, Judaism limits the permanent damage to the environment from warfare, by insisting that fruit trees not be cut down, neither in battle nor to provide the siege works. Finally, Judaism protected women taken captive in war. The Israelite soldier could not take her in battle, but had to allow her a month to mourn her family, and then had to marry her outright.

This approach, of trying to limit the bad consequences of some practice that the Torah felt could not be banned, at least for the present, is taken also in relation to slavery, to killing animals for food, and for other social issues. I think it’s an important model for us.

Sometimes our conclusion that we cannot reach an ideal, prevents us from doing those things that we can do. The best, becomes the enemy of the good. The Torah reminds us that it is our responsibility to make things better, even when that will not make them perfect. Without this example, I think we might be tempted to throw up our hands in despair at some of the problems in our world today. Instead Judaism urges us to roll up our sleeves and get to work, doing what we can do to make life better.

Kevin, you have talents and intelligence with which to make your own contribution to our society. May your Torah portion about warfare, remind you to always do what you can, to improve the world around you.