Temple Mount Institute: Avoiding the Snare

Avoiding the Snare

"And you shalt consume all the peoples that the L-rd your G-d shall deliver unto you; your eye shall not pity them; neither shall you serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto you."
Deuteronomy 7:16

Av 15, 5766/August 9, 2006

When confronted with a life or death decision, it is incumbent upon us to act decisively and morally. To be indecisive or to hesitate, to be passive rather than to act, can be both immoral and deadly. Today Israel is waging war against an implacable enemy, an enemy which worships at an altar of hatred and destruction, and which will be satisfied with nothing less than the total annihilation of the state of Israel, the genocide of the Jewish people, and the obliteration of the Torah of Israel from the face of the earth. When facing such an enemy, each soldier of the army of Israel needs to be armed with a clear and uncompromising understanding of his responsibility to himself, his nation, and all humankind. We are taught by our sages that one is required to die as a martyr rather than to murder. Yet, to cut down an enemy in battle is not murder, but the prevention of murder. Even when that enemy places himself among "innocent" civilians. Even when those "innocents" are women and children. To refrain from pursuing the enemy because of these extenuating circumstances is not an act of moral deliberation. It is an act of confusion, perhaps even cowardice. Torah makes it clear that an enemy is to be pursued mercilessly. The ungodly "moral dilemma" cooked up by the enemy, practitioners of a cynical death cult, is to be treated with contempt. To spare a murderer, even at the risk of killing an innocent child, is to allow and to encourage him to continue to murder and to murder and to murder. To concede to the rules that the terrorists would have us play by, is to become ensnared in trap both deadly and immoral. As much as we hate to see our sons and friends confronted with such decisions, the stern warning which the Torah delivers in this week's reading, Ekev, (Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25) leaves no room for moral equivocation.

The Torah places a supreme value on human life. Indeed, we are commanded to "choose life." An appreciation of all living things is essential to an understanding of the inner meaning of the Divine service at the Holy Temple. The everyday mitzvot with which we preoccupy ourselves are a celebration of life. One particular day in which the celebration of life as a heavenly gift to be both appreciated and embraced, is Tu B'Av - the 15th day of the month of Av. Considered a minor holiday by Jewish tradition, it is nevertheless one of the most sublime occasions on the Hebrew calendar. Tu B'Av is a day of brotherly love, where common daily distinctions are dropped, and all be come equal. As brothers in peace and unity we become fit for our most sacred task and ultimate destiny - to become partners to the Holy One Himself, Creator of the universe.

To learn more about Torah teachings concerning the morality of war, and to gain insight into the joyful life embracing spirit of Tu B'Av, listen to the week's broadcast of Temple Talk.

The August 10th episode of Rabbi Chaim Richman's Light to the Nations new weekly half-hour online television Torah study series will focus on Insights into the makeup of the commandment concerning building the Holy Temple. Last week's premier episode can still be viewed from the online archive.To view the The August 10th episode, or to access the August 3rd episode, or to learn more about the Light to the Nations upcoming broadcast schedule, its availability on DVD, and how to personally dedicate an episode of Light to the Nations, please click here.


Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
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