December 2002 - כִּסְלֵו .. טֵבֵת תשס״ג Kislev..Tevet 5763

Chanukkah celebrates a military victory over a much more powerful Syrian Greek army. Since the Maccabbean victory and until the founding of the State of Israel, the Jewish tradition has been leaning toward pacifism and away from waging war. The rabbinic commentaries on war have all been more theoretical than practical. So when Rabbi Benno M. Wallach of Houston, Texas, asked the Reform Responsa committee the following question, a ten page answer was issued. Here are the highlights of the Reform Responsa concerning Preventive War, Part I. (Part II will appear in the January Kol Sholom. The entire Responsa will be posted on our website, www.tbssanleandro.org.)

She'elah: Does our tradition countenance preemptive military action when there is suspicion, but no prima facie evidence exists, that a perceived enemy will attack? My question presupposes that innocent lives will be lost in the event of such action.

Teshuvah: We received this she'elah and composed our answer during a time of fierce national debate in the United States over the wisdom of initiating a war against Iraq. The goal of such a war would be to depose Saddam Hussein, the ruler of that country. The stated justification for this war is that Saddam Hussein's regime either possesses or is in the process of developing nuclear, chemical, and/or biological weapons of mass destruction, that it poses a threat to its neighbors, and that it someday may come to endanger the security of the United States itself. At the moment, there is no prima facie evidence that Iraq is actively contemplating or planning a military attack upon any of its neighbors, much less the United States.

Although Jewish tradition has much to say about the conduct of war, our sacred texts tend to speak to the political context of the ancient Jewish commonwealth (malkhut yisrael) under the leadership of a Davidic monarch. It is instructive that Maimonides in his Mishneh Torah codifies the Talmudic discussions of the rules of war under the heading Hilkhot Melakhim Umilchemoteihem, The Laws of Kings and Their Wars, and that the very first law he mentions is the Biblical commandment to appoint a king over Israel. We could conclude that the traditional Jewish law of government and war bears no relevance at all to our question, which deals with a non-Jewish government that is not ruled by a king, Davidic or otherwise.

Commanded and Discretionary Wars. According to Maimonides, the king of Israel is permitted to fight two distinct kinds of war. The first category is ‘commanded war’ (milchemet mitzvah), which includes wars fought “to assist the Jews against enemies who have attacked them.” Only when he has completed these military tasks is he permitted to engage in ‘discretionary war’ (milchemet hareshut), a war he fights “against other nations to expand Israel's borders and to enhance his greatness and reputation.” These wars differ from each other not only in their strategic purpose but also with respect to the rules that govern them. First, the king must consult with and receive the approval of the Sanhedrin.

Though the word mitzvah has a particularly Jewish connotation, there is no reason to believe that the Jews are the only people that are entitled to self-defense. Every nation must possess the right to take up arms if necessary to protect itself and its citizens against military attack.

Shalom, Shalom.

—Rabbi Harry A. Manhoff, Ph.D.

Chanukkah Every Night on the Roof, 6:00 PM

Every night of Chanukkah beginning on Friday, November 29th through Friday, December 6th, members and friends of Temple Beth Sholom will come together to light the community Chanukkah menorah on the roof of the synagogue. The rabbi or the cantor will lead us as we sing the blessings and sing Chanukkah songs, and the rabbi may even tell a story on one or two of the nights.

This is the most appropriate place for a community menorah. A menorah does not belong on public property such as at city hall, or even in a public thoroughfare such as at the mall. The menorah belongs in our homes and at our synagogue. The menorah is a religious symbol and the Supreme Court had no right to rule that it was a secular symbol like a Santa or a Christmas tree. Let us do the right thing and gather at home and at Temple Beth Sholom to celebrate Chanukkah as a religious holiday. See you there!

Color-Me-In-Prayer Shabbat and Chanukkah Worship, Friday, Dec. 6th

Friday, December 6th is the second Shabbat in Chanukkah 5763 (2002). It is our tradition at Temple Beth Sholom to celebrate this Shabbat and Chanukkah with a pot luck dinner, followed by the service edited by Rabbi Manhoff which we call Color-Me-In-Prayer. This unique prayerbook has the traditional liturgy in Hebrew and English facing a coloring book page that reflects that prayer. Children under the age of 13, who are not yet obligated to refrain from writing on Shabbat, are given crayons and asked to color their prayers. (Adults, age 13 and up, have been known to take the Color-Me-In-Prayer prayerbook home in order to pray in color after the Shabbat.)

So bring your menorah, a dairy potluck main dish, a side dish or dessert, and a drink, and join us for the Chanukkah and Shabbat Color-Me-In-Prayer Worship. The schedule for the evening:

6:00 PM - Chanukkah Menorah Lighting on the Roof
6:30 PM - Chanukkah/Shabbat Dairy Potluck
7:30 PM - Chanukkah/Shabbat Color-Me-In-Prayer Worship

Happy Chanukkah from all of us to all of you!

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