{"id":38691,"date":"2018-08-26T12:20:08","date_gmt":"2018-08-26T09:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=38691"},"modified":"2022-03-20T23:41:20","modified_gmt":"2022-03-20T21:41:20","slug":"tortured-by-the-thought-of-possibly-having-to-kill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/tortured-by-the-thought-of-possibly-having-to-kill\/","title":{"rendered":"Tortured By the Thought of Possibly Having to Kill"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[539,363,543],"acf":{"old_id":"38691","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":37918,"related_cahpter":"32","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Having a state means having an army, but that is a tragic necessity rather than a revelation of the holy","content":"

What is the Jewish attitude towards violence and military force? One crucial window into that extremely important question is provided by a Rabbinic interpretation of today\u2019s chapter. <\/span><\/p>\n

Jacob had long ago left home after taking his brother\u2019s blessing in a morally compromised fashion (Genesis 27). Now, on his way back home, he faces the fearful scene of Esau coming towards him with four hundred men (32:7); in that moment, Jacob no doubt recalls Esau\u2019s desire to kill him (27:41-42).<\/span><\/p>\n

When he hears of Esau\u2019s approach, the Torah tells us, \u201cJacob was greatly afraid, and he was distressed\u201d (32:8). Rabbinic tradition is confused by this seemingly unnecessary doubling of language: if Jacob was greatly afraid, then surely he was also distressed. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Citing a midrash, Rashi comments: \u201cJacob was greatly afraid lest he be killed, and he was distressed lest he kill others.\u201d The Talmudic Sage R. Judah b. Ilai suggests that as Esau headed his way, Jacob thought, \u201cIf he prevails against me, will he not kill me; while if I am stronger, will I not kill him?\u201d (Genesis Rabbah 76:2). <\/span><\/p>\n

In Rashi\u2019s version of the midrash, found in several manuscripts as well, Jacob is first and foremost worried about being killed, but he is also afraid of becoming a killer himself. But in other versions of the midrash, the order is reversed: \u201cJacob was greatly afraid lest he kill, and he was distressed lest he be killed.\u201d In this rather startling formulation, Jacob is even more worried about taking a life than he is about having his own taken. <\/span><\/p>\n

To be clear: the Jewish tradition is far from pacifistic. On the contrary, a significant principle of Jewish law and ethics asserts that \u201cif someone comes to kill you, hasten to kill him first\u201d (BT, Berakhot 58a). <\/span><\/p>\n

But even so, R. Judah b. Ilai imagines Jacob tormented by the thought that he would need to take a life. Justified violence is nevertheless tragic, a manifestation of a world still agonizingly far from perfection. <\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Jews have Israel; and having a state means having an army, but that is a tragic necessity rather than a revelation of the holy. Even as Jews traditionally refuse pacifism, we ought to remember our ancestor Jacob, who was tortured by the thought that he might have to kill. 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