The war makes me feel separated from my Judaism – The Forward

Jewish wisdom contains both violent and pacifist ideas. Illustration by Mira Fox

By Mira Fox
26 June 2024

A Bintel letterYiddish for a bundle of letters, has been solving readers’ dilemmas since 1906. Send yours by email, social media or this form.

Dear Bintel,

Since the horrific events of October 7, I have been completely confused. As a Jew, I was devastated by the loss and capture of so many innocent people. I was terribly afraid for my family in Israel.

But when Israel invaded Gaza, when the Israeli government rejected one hostage deal after another, when months of brutal ground and air strikes killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, I began to question what I thought my faith had taught me about the value of human life.

Because no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot blame the ordinary people of Gaza for the tragedy of October 7. 2 million Persons responsible for the actions of the militants.

So I want to ask, quite clearly: Does Judaism teach us that we have a responsibility to punish the many for the crimes of the few? Does it teach us that the end always justifies the means? (And only if it is our end – because we condemn the phrase “by any means necessary” when applied to Palestinian freedom, and then use the same words when it comes to bringing the hostages home?)

If that’s the case, I don’t know if I can have any more confidence in it.

If that is not the case, I am left with another question: why are we not shouting with every breath we have left against the bombs raining down on the refugees in Rafah?

The only answer I see (and which scares me more than anything else) is that our community does not see the value of Palestinian lives as equal to Jewish lives. If we do not believe in an eye for an eye, if we do not believe in revenge killing, if we do not believe that the son should die for the crimes of the father, and yet do nothing to end the war in Gaza, does that mean that we have accepted in our hearts that Palestinians are not human?

Signed,
Heartbroken for humanity

Dear Heartbroken,

I can hear both pain and confusion in your letter – and you are far from the only one.

Jews of all generations and backgrounds are struggling to figure out what to think about the war, about Israel, and about their Jewish communities. Many of us have complex, tangled relationships with Israel, whether because of people close to us there or because of what we were taught in our childhood. Perhaps it’s simply because at some point it seemed to become a duty for Jews to have a strong feeling for Israel. And all of this is coming to a head in the open right now.

The first thing I want to say to you is that there isn’t really an answer to the question of what Jewish tradition says about war, morality, or appropriate responses. In Jewish tradition, there is no one answer to almost anything.

I think that’s the beauty of Judaism. But at a time like this, it can also be frustrating.

If you look at the Torah, you will find passages that command the total destruction of various enemy nations. After Amalek attacked the Israelites, orders them all to be killed; there is no room for the idea of ​​innocent Amalekite civilians. In fact, the idea that Haman, the villain of the Purim story, is a descendant of Amalek is often cited as an example of why no Amalekite should be allowed to live. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Amalek when it comes to the current war in the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, Talmudic discussions and centuries of reinterpretation by revered rabbis have softened these commandments. And Judaism today is a rabbinic religion, drawing on the writings of such sages, codified in the Talmud and in expository books such as the mystical Book of Zohar. that looks Amalek as an allegory of evil and the Shulchan Aruch – perhaps the most famous code of Jewish law – in which the command to destroy Amalek is completely missing.

I’m not going to try to take you through every Jewish text that deals with the subject of war, or every text on ethics—that would take a whole college course, and then some. But you should do this work before you decide to give up your religious identity.

Judaism is diverse; just because some people use it to support something you are against doesn’t mean you can’t use it to oppose them. There are many Jewish teachings that are adamant and vehement about the value of human life. Even some of Judaism’s most seemingly clear-cut laws – like the prohibition against eating pork – can overridden to save a life.

Your second question remains: Why do not more Jews raise their voices against the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip?

First, many Jews – there are Jews deeply involved to protest movements on campus and to Jewish groups such as IfNotNow, Jewish Voice for Peace and T’ruah that are calling for a ceasefire. Rabbis and committed Jews of all denominations have stressed in their writings and sermons the need to end the war, condemned the civilian casualties of Israel’s actions and called for more humanitarian aid in Gaza.

This may not be as pronounced in your community, so seek out other Jews whose views and actions are more aligned with your own and who can ground your opposition to violence in Jewish tradition.

Maybe it’s a Jewish anti-war movement, or a text study group that wants to learn more about what the rabbis have written about war and peace. Maybe it’s just Shabbat dinners with like-minded people. If you live somewhere where there are few Jews, there are online options.

It may be unsatisfying that my answer is essentially to do some research; it sounds like you think the situation is morally clear and you want a more definitive answer. But Judaism is a deeply human religion. The texts offer perspectives, unresolved debates, stories and examples, but ultimately leave it up to us as a community and as individuals to find our own answers. This gives us the flexibility to adapt while remaining rooted in our tradition, but also leaves an uncomfortable space for disagreement.

Think of the example I gave above – HalachaJewish law says we can break the rules of kashrut to save a life, but we are the ones who must decide whether the situation is actually so dire that this is necessary. Your role as a Jew in wartime is to learn enough about the text, the tradition, and the current situation to advocate for the interpretations you find most compelling. And it is this debate that enriches us as a community and continually challenges us to do what is right.

It’s a tired joke that where there are two Jews, there are three opinions, but it’s also a profound truth. The hard part is finding the Jews and opinions that resonate with you.

Don’t agree? Send your advice to Heartbroken for Humanity to [email protected] or ask your own question via our anonymous form.

It’s your turn

A new client seeking advice wrote Bintel to say how disappointed she is that her non-Jewish friends don’t recognize the Jewish holidays. Bintel suggested inviting her to Shavuot or a Hanukkah party for blintzes.

One reader shared the frustration and said she had even learned to say “Gung hay fat choy” – “wish you prosperity” in Cantonese — to Asian friends for New Years and still never gets a Rosh Hashanah greeting back. “If I know their holidays, why can’t they respond in kind?” she asked.

To which Bintel replies: “Only a nudnik could disagree with that.”

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