This morning
we read about various offerings that were to be made at the Tabernacle and
eventually at the Temple in Jerusalem.
You might have noticed that one offering was called a peace
offering….zevach shlamim….The word shlamim is related to the word shalom,
meaning peace. Shalom, of course, comes
from the word shalem, or complete. “A
representative portion of the peace offering is burnt on the altar, a portion
is given to the kohanm, the priests, and the rest is eaten by the offerer and
the offerer’s family.” The end result is
that everyone gets a portion of the offering.
This category of offerings included thanksgiving offerings from
survivors of life-threatening crises, free-will offerings which made one feel
closer to G-d, and offerings made when one fulfilled the terms of a vow. (Judaism 101)
When I read the words, zevach shlamim, a peace offering, my mind did not
turn to the sacrifices mentioned in this week’s parsha, rather to the concepts
of peace and war in Judaism. Peace is
Judaism’s highest aspiration. Our vision
of a world that is complete, involves a world that has achieved peace. If you look in the siddur, you will know that
we ask G-d on a daily basis to allow us to be disciples of Aharon, ha Kohen,
loving peace, pursuing peace, loving our fellow creatures, and drawing them
near to the Torah.
Maimonides wrote in the Mishnah Torah, that “one should not make war
against anyone until first calling out to them for peace, whether in the case
of a Permitted War or an Obligatory War.
A permitted war, is a discretionary war, which is allowed for the
purposes of increasing the nation’s power or property. It has to be approved by the courts and is
not for the purpose of conquering the world and colonizing it. It also allows clear exemptions for soldiers.
Unlike a permitted war, an obligatory war, is a war designed to protect the
physical and spiritual survival of the Jewish people. In ancient times, it was called by the King and
everyone was required to fight.
You’re probably aware that Judaism has rules about our obligation to stop
those who are intent on killing another. Even though we prefer peace to
violence, “If someone is pursuing after another person with the manifest intent
to kill him, everybody is obligated to save the pursued party, even by taking
the pursuer’s life.” Pacifism in the face of evil is not a Jewish
response. Why? Because in the eyes of Judaism, refusing to
fight evil is tantamount to being a party to evil. In the words of Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, “If a
person does not defend himself, he allows evil to triumph.”
Of course it is important to note that we Jews do have a belief that even
when war is a necessary course of action, all is not fair in war. Avoiding the
killing of non-combatants, not destroying the trees or sources of food, are all
part of Jewish law. That’s why we find
it unconscionable and distressing when terrorist groups use human shields, hide
in hospitals, schools, and crowded neighborhoods, and set fires to forests.
At the beginning of this week, I spoke to Nebraskans for Peace about the
threat of a nuclear armed Iran. I must
say I was shocked that the audience, although small, did not disagree with my
words about not trusting a regime whose supreme leader openly told his people
after the beginning of the P5+1 “negotiations” that “Israel is doomed to annihilation and referred
to Zionists as “rabid dogs.”
They did not disagree with my
words about worrying about crowds responding to their Supreme Leader’s
diatribes against the United States by shouting ‘Death to America.’
They did not seem in the least bit unconcerned about the words of Iran’s
Atomic Energy Organization who said in an interview on February 21, 2014,
“These commitments made by Iran can be retracted. These were voluntary commitments. ….Iran got more than it gave….The main reason
for this is that the other side has de facto accepted that Iran can continue
its enrichment, even though the purpose of the U.N. Security Council
resolutions and sanctions was to get Iran to freeze its uranium
enrichment. This is our most important
achievement…..Iran’s commitments are temporary and non-obligatory.”
They did not criticize my position of concern when I quoted the Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif’s February 27th words: “Iran’s nuclear program will remain
intact. We will not close any program.”
What they did instead was wonder why the world is so little worried about
a nuclear armed Iran. Why the American public is being duped into believing
that this is only an issue about the well-being and safety of Israel. Why there
is such apathy about a country that continues to be the leading state sponsor
of terrorism having the capability one day of possessing a nuclear weapon.
What I did hear instead, was why is the Jewish community so quiet about
this subject. Why do they think it is in their best interests to not speak out
for the right of Israel to exist safely in the world. Professor Beard of the UNL law college, who
has engaged in nuclear disarmament negotiations world-wide, felt the path that
our administration is pursuing is foolhardy if not accompanied by strong
sanctions.
I think Elie Wiesel said it best when he ran an ad in the Wall Street
Journal on December 18th:
“If there is one lesson I hope the
world has learned from the past is that regimes rooted in brutality must never
be trusted. And the words and actions of
the leadership of Iran leave no doubt as to their intentions.”
“I appeal to President Obama and Congress to demand, as a condition of
continued talks, the total dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and the
regime’s public and complete repudiation of all genocidal intent against
Israel. And I appeal to the leaders of the United States Senate to go forward
with their vote to strengthen sanctions against Iran until these conditions
have been met.”
“I once wrote that history has taught us to trust the threats of our enemies
more than the promises of our friends.
Our enemies are making serious threats.
It is time to take them seriously.
It is time for our friends to keep their promises.”
Israel has the right to exist. The
U.S. as a democratic society that values free speech, a free press, free
elections, and the pursuit of justice, should not be willing to see a nuclear
armed Iran. We should make sure our
non-Jewish neighbors no longer have to ask us why we are so quiet on this
issue. It is too important.
Shabbat Shalom.
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