When is it a mitzva to go out to war?

 

Note: The following is an extract from the book “Bechayil Uve'Ruach,” by Rabbi Chaim Drukman zts"l, a leading figure of Religious Zionism for many decades.. The title of the book hints at the verse, “Not by might nor by power but by my spirit, the God of Hosts says” (Zecharia 4:6). The army of Israel applies this principle, as it fights - “By might – with the spirit of God.”

(A) Milchemet Mitzvah (Obligatory War)

In Chapter 5 of Hilchot Melachim (Laws of Kings), the Rambam explains that according to Jewish law, there are two types of wars in Israel: Milchemet Mitzvah (a war that is a positive obligation) and Milchemet Reshut (a permitted war). A king of Israel must first perform all of the required wars before he is permitted to go to war for discretionary reasons.

The Rambam lists three types of wars that fall under the category of Milchemet Mitzvah:
"What is considered an obligatory war? The war against the seven nations, the war against Amalek, and the defense of Israel from an enemy that attacks them."

Unfortunately, the third type—"the defense of Israel from an enemy that attacks them"—is highly relevant in our times, as many enemies still seek to harm us.

It is clear that the Rambam agrees that there is a mitzvah to fight in defense of the Jewish people. In fact, it is difficult to imagine anyone disputing this, since it is well-known that one may violate the Sabbath to save even a single Jewish life. If that is the case, then how much more so is it a mitzvah to fight in order to protect the collective life of all of Israel!

In our time, all halakhic perspectives agree that we are obligated to wage a Milchemet Mitzvah due to the commandment: "to defend Israel from an enemy that attacks them."

I addition, there is a halakhic ruling that one must go out to battle even on the Sabbath if enemies approach a border town, even if they are only coming over a dispute on straw and hay, because such incidents could ultimately lead to an invasion of the land. This law is codified in the Shulchan Arukh as a practical legal guide for our times—making it clear that the mitzvah to fight remains relevant today!

We must recognize that this message is valid for all generations, especially for our own. We must ensure our survival and strength—not because we want to fight, for the true aspiration of Israel is the opposite of war and bloodshed. However, at times, we have no choice. We are required to fight in order to exist, so that we may ultimately bring the moral and just values of Torah to all of humanity and thereby bring true happiness to the world.

(B) The Obligation to Participate in National Life

US lawmakers warn UN against new anti-Israel probe, threaten sanctions

 

Senior US lawmakers have issued a stark warning to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over efforts to establish yet another investigatory mechanism targeting Israel, cautioning that such actions could lead to sanctions.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID) sent a letter to Guterres on Monday, condemning the UN’s bias against Israel and urging him to block any new probe.

The warning comes ahead of a scheduled UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) vote this week on a resolution that could create an open-ended investigative mechanism focusing solely on Israel.

Israel Becomes First Country to Eliminate All Tariffs on U.S. Products

 

In a groundbreaking move that is already being hailed as a model for future trade relations, Israel has become the first country in the world to eliminate all tariffs on goods imported from the United States.

The decision, announced Monday by Israel’s Finance Ministry, marks a historic milestone in U.S.-Israel economic relations and underscores the deepening bond between the two allies. Effective immediately, American products—from agricultural goods to machinery and consumer electronics—will enter Israel duty-free.

Jewish Republican Randy Fine Wins Election for Florida’s 6th Congressional District against a Muslim

 Florida state senator Randy Fine, a Republican, won the special election for Florida’s 6th Congressional District on Tuesday in a race widely seen as a bellwether for the national popularity of Republicans.

A poll released in late March showing Fine’s lead within the margin of error and the 10-to-1 fundraising advantage enjoyed by his opponent, Joshua Weil, a Muslim, raised the possibility of Republicans dramatically underperforming U.S. President Donald Trump’s 30-point victory in the deep-red district in November.

The Associated Press called the race less than an hour after the polls closed at 7 p.m. With more than 95% of the votes counted at press time, Fine holds a 14-point lead over Weil.

Fine, whom Trump campaigned for in the final days of the race, thanked the president for his victory.

“Because of you, Mr. President,” Fine wrote. “I won’t let you down.”

Israel opened its doors to thousands of Gazans, allowing them to work in nearby kibbutzim — on farms, in factories, and in homes. And how was that goodwill repaid?

 

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AG Pam Bondi announces charges against Cooper Frederick for firebombing a Tesla dealership in Colorado.

 

The Yente Lesley Stahl asks Hamas Hostage that was tortured and starved if Hamas really meant to starve him or if they just didn't have enough food.

Lesley Stahl had the audacity to ask a Jewish hostage, who was tortured and starved by Hamas, if Hamas really meant to starve him or if they just didn't have enough food.

IDF Eliminates a Father & Son in one Day Violating :: אותו ואת בנו לא תשחטו ביום אחד

 Senior Hezbollah Commander Eliminated: 

Hassan Badir and His Son Eliminated in Airstrike on Beirut

There is a biblical prohibition of slaughtering an animal and its child on the same day!

 אותו ואת בנו לא תשחטו ביום אחד 

Wondering if this applies with Hamas! 

Family Feud ”Smotrich resigns from government in spat with Ben-Gvir"

 

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decided this evening (Monday) to temporarily resign from his position in the government in order to remove MK Yitzhak Kroizer from Otzma Yehudit from the Knesset on the grounds that National Security Minister Ben-Gvir is violating the terms of the coalition agreement.

A source in the Religious Zionism party told Arutz Sheva that "Otzma Yehudit's behavior is incomprehensible. It's a shame they are not fulfilling their commitment to return Sukkot to the Knesset, even though, at Otzma Yehudit's request, the coalition left MK Kroizer in the Knesset at the time of their party's withdrawal from the government."

"Sukkot and Kroizer are excellent national parliamentarians, but Ben-Gvir's refusal to fulfill his commitment and [carry out] the removal of these two players from the coalition is unnecessary and inappropriate," the source said.

The Otzma Yehudit party was restrained in its response, stating, "We will not get into unnecessary quarrels in the coalition. If it doesn't work out, we don't need 'Norwegian' MKs." The party noted that they have found a new role for Kroizer, outside the Knesset: "He will be appointed director-general of Otzma Yehudit."

Religious Zionism party director-general Yehuda Wald wrote, "We kept Kroizer in the Knesset for two months in the place reserved for Religious Zionism, even though Ben-Gvir and his party withdrew from the coalition and expelled Zvi Sukkot from the Knesset. Now they have realized that they were wrong and returned to the government. Welcome back. Now, despite explicit agreements, they refuse to abide by the agreements and return Zvi to the Knesset. Itamar demands jobs and a ministerial position that is unnecessary at the expense of the Israeli people in the middle of a war. Childish behavior."

3-year-old finds 3,800-year-old Canaanite seal on family trip near Beit Shemesh

 

Early last month, during a family trip to Tel Azeka, near Beit Shemesh, 3.5-year-old Ziv Nitzan from Moshav Ramot Meir found an ancient scarab amulet, about 3,800 years old. “We were walking along the path, and then Ziv bent down – and out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular stone,” recounts Omer Nitzan, Ziv's sister. “When she rubbed it and removed the sand from it, we saw something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone, and we realized we had discovered an archaeological find! We immediately reported this to the Israel Antiquities Authority.”

Semyon Gendler, Judah Region District Archaeologist, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, praised Ziv and her family for reporting the find and awarded her a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship. The ancient find will be included in a special display for Passover that the Israel Antiquities Authority has prepared at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, alongside other finds from the days of Egypt and Canaan, most of which are being displayed for the first time.

Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor, an expert in ancient amulets and seals, determined that the seal found by Ziv is a Canaanite scarab from the Middle Bronze Age – dating to about 3,800 years ago. She says, “Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets. They were found in graves, in public buildings, and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages, that reflect religious beliefs or status.”

The scarab seals are tiny ornate objects, originating in ancient Egypt and designed in the shape of a dung beetle. This beetle, considered sacred in the eyes of the ancient Egyptians, was a symbol of new life because of the dung ball it created and then laid its eggs into it, from which new life would hatch. Its name in Egyptian derives from the verb “to come into being” or “to be created”. This is because the Egyptians saw the scarab as a symbol of the incarnation of "God the Creator."

The scarab Ziv found was discovered at the foot of Tel Azeka – an important archaeological tel near Beit Shemesh. In this mound, evidence was discovered of many changing cultures over the course of history. Amongst other things, excavations by Tel Aviv University have revealed findings from the days of the Judahite Kingdom, including city walls, agricultural installations, and more. Tel Azekah was also known as a key feature in the biblical battle scene between David and Goliath, as described in the Book of Samuel (Samuel I 17:1).

“We have been excavating here for almost 15 years, and the excavation findings show that during the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze Ages, here in Tel Azekah, thrived one of the most important cities in the Judean Lowlands,” says Prof. Oded Lipschits, director of the Tel Aviv University archaeological dig, who even came to meet Ziv and her sisters at the tel. “The scarab found by Ziv joins a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered here, which attest to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period.”

According to Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu, “The seal that little Ziv found during a family trip to Tel Azekah connects us to a grand story, that of the ancient civilizations that lived in this land thousands of years ago. The scarab Ziv found also reminds us that in the Land of Israel, even children can be a part of discovering history.”

“Ziv and her family deserve praise for handing over the find to the National Treasures of the state of Israel,” says Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “Thanks to her, everyone will be able to see it and enjoy it. In honor of Passover, we will present the seal in a special exhibition set up by the Israel Antiquities Authority at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, alongside other findings from the Egyptian and Canaanite eras. In our public tours, we will present impressive items for the first time, including seals of the pharaohs, Egyptian statues, ritual vessels, and evidence of the Egyptian cultural influence in the Land of Israel – and everyone is invited!”