These past six weeks have been a roller coaster for the world about everything Israel and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. While I am not a member of the Israeli security cabinet, nor a lead negotiator, I interact with many who are often unsure how to feel about news reports and media characterizations about the current war. Here is an interesting lesson from this week’s parsha that sheds light on an important Jewish perspective.
Since his brother Eisav was determined to kill him, Yaakov fled to his uncle Lavan who lived in a faraway land called Charan. As he approached his family’s hometown, he encountered shepherds gathered by a well and met his cousin Rachel, Lavan’s daughter, for the first time. Here is how the Torah describes their conversation:
“And Yaakov told Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rivka's son.”
This introduction seems to be redundant. If he introduced himself as Rivka’s son would that not include the fact that he was Lavan’s relative?
The eleventh-century sage Rashi clarifies this by quoting the Midrash: “If he (Lavan) comes to deceive me, I, too, am his brother in deception, and if he is an honest man, I, too, am the son of his honest sister Rivka.”
Yaakov’s message to Lavan was simple. I am coming to you for protection but I know you are a cunning cheat. Don’t have the wrong ideas about my philosophy in life. True, I was raised by your honest sister Rivka and have monotheistic morals and ethics imbued in me. But don’t think my beliefs will render me a gullible sitting duck. The Torah demands that to protect myself, my best interests, and my family I must employ every trick in the book to outsmart you, even if it makes me look like the diabolical Lavan.
King Solomon declared "There is a time for war and a time for peace." As long as there is an enemy focused on fighting against you, you must focus on winning completely and decisively. Doing so saves lives on both sides and prevents the enemy from trying to wage war again in the future.
Just as the Torah provides concrete rules on how to build a Sukkah, prepare meat for consumption, and observe Shabbat, the Torah sets forth guidelines on how to wage war. In order to ensure that misguided ethics or misplaced empathy do not ruin the chances for victory, Jews must look to the Torah for guidance on how to wage war ethically and compassionately. Often, the words “ethics” and “compassion” are used incorrectly and cynically, with deadly consequences and we must never fall for that.
We continue to pray to G-d for the safe return of ALL the hostages, the welfare of Israel Defense Forces troops and all the residents in the Land of Israel, as well as that the proper wisdom, strength and faith be granted to Israel’s leadership to guide our people to victory.