Shabbat Balak
War and Peace
Last week, this week, and next week all deal with the progress of Israel, first northwards up the East Bank of the River Jordan, before ultimately intending to cross the River Jordan into the Promised Land.
They encounter three very different situations that shed light on attitudes towards war and its conventions. The rules that applied three thousand years ago regarding the Canaanites no longer apply today. It would be ridiculous to compare the rules of warfare three thousand years ago to ours today. Many of the conventions and rules we take for granted are recent. Post the Second World War. Even so, states and groups still excel in the sort of barbarism even the ancients avoided. Nevertheless, there are lessons to be learned.
Moshe sent messengers to Edom, the descendants of Esav, asking for safe passage through their land (Numbers 21:21-22). Expecting a positive response given the family connection, they promised to only use the highway through and pay for any water they consumed. Edom refused and sent a large army to block them. Israel decided not to fight and was forced to detour. The Canaanites saw this as a sign of weakness. And they attacked and took captives. Israel, this time, responded with force and destroyed their cities. Yet despite the victory, there was rebellion in the Israelite camp. Internal politics, even then, were being debated over tactics.
When requesting passage from Sichon, King of the Amorites, a similar approach was taken. However, when Sichon came out to fight, the Israelites were commanded to destroy him completely, as was later done with Og, King of Bashan. And then they meet the Midianites who present a much more serious existential challenge.
The Book of Devarim expands on this narrative to include Moav and the Ammonites, descendants of Lot. One also sees a reluctance to fight them, as well as Edom, because they were descendants of Abraham’s family. One wonders if Palestinians today ought to count as family.
In the fortieth year of their journey, the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying: ‘Let me pass through your country,’ “Then I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to King Sichon of Heshbon with an offer of peace (Deuteronomy 2:26).”
Moshe’s offer of peace to the Amorites seems to contradict an earlier direct Divine command. God told Moses, “See, I give into your power Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin the occupation; and engage him in battle (Devarim 2:24).” The purpose of having the Israelites convincingly defeat the Amorites was as a deterrent. “This day I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under Heaven (Devarim 2:25).” Victory against the mighty and renowned Sihon would elevate the Israelites’ martial reputation in advance of their expected war with the Canaanite nations that they had been told by God to dispossess. a tactic so often used
God’s instruction for the Israelites to wage an aggressive and unprovoked war against the Amorites stands in contrast with avoiding provoking the Edomites (Deut 2:5) and refraining from harassing the Moabites (Ibid 2:9) and Ammonites (Ibid 2:19).
Approval of Moshe’s actions is implicit in the Torah’s subsequent legislation about warfare. “When you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace (Ibid 20:10).”
Later, Joshua followed the precedent set by Moses and extended an offer of peace to the nations living in the Land of Canaan. Joshua gave them the choice to leave voluntarily, make peace, become a tributary, or wage war. The Girgashites evacuated to Africa, the Gibeonites made peace, and the thirty-one other Canaanite potentates waged war and lost (Yerushalmi Shevi’it 36c). The playbook from the earliest of human conquests. Frighten them to avoid war.
Throughout Jewish history, some authorities have favoured pacifism from secular Brit Shalom in Mandate Palestine to Satmar Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum. One can also find passages from rabbinic literature by those who wish to steer Jewry away from militarism.
Yet the pacifist who knows only diplomacy can never countenance war. And this has not been our overwhelming approach, which hates war and violence and yet commands us to defend ourselves. These examples of different strategies and reasons for war illustrate the complexity of warfare and the danger of seeing them all as equally bad.
World Jewry and the modern State of Israel follow the example of Moses. We have our emissaries who talk to the adversary. Those who seek to avoid conflict or resolve it. But when talks fail, the armed forces, with help from the Almighty, stand ready to achieve victory. But if we are forced into war, we regret the loss of all lives, and we are commanded to preserve our sense of humanity and mercy whenever we can.
Bamidbar Chapters 22.2-25.9
Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.
