What's Jewish Law got to do with it? Qassams, Kidnappings and the War on Terror

The State of Israel has never had a shortage of political leaders with significant military experience and expertise (Ariel Sharon, Ehud Barak, Bibi Netanyahu, Yitzchak Rabin...), and yet, all of this military expertise has not been able to stop the daily barrage of Qassam rockets into the Jewish State over the last 5 years (as part of the greater "Palestinian" war of destruction against the Jewish State), and it was not able to prevent yesterday's kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, in an attack led by Hamas, which also killed two Israeli soldiers.

One can only wonder how the situation might be different if only our "enlightened leaders" would have put aside their real politic considerations, and actually showed an interest in their Jewish heritage, they might have discovered that Jewish law has a very clear and relevant solution as to how to stop the Qassam rocket fire; a solution that would have prevented the unnecessary deaths of two young soldiers, and the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit.

What is this magical solution, you ask?

We can find the answer brought down in the Shulchan Aruch - Code of Jewish Law (Orach Chaim: 329, 6,7):

סימן שכט: על מי מחללין שבת

סעיף ו

עכו"ם שצרו על עיירות ישראל, אם באו על עסק ממון אין מחללין עליהם את השבת; באו על עסקי נפשות, ואפי' סתם, יוצאים עליהם בכלי זיין ומחללין עליהם את השבת; ובעיר הסמוכה לספר, אפילו לא באו אלא על עסקי תבן וקש מחללין עליהם את השבת. הגה: ואפילו לא באו עדיין אלא רוצים לבא - אור זרוע

סעיף ז

יש מי שאומר שבזמן הזה אפי' באו על עסקי ממון מחללין, שאם לא יניחנו ישראל לשלול ולבוז ממונו יהרגנו, והוי עסקי נפשות

Laws of when violating the Sabbath is Permitted:

Section 6:

Non-Jews who are oppressing a city within the borders of Israel, if they come over matters of money (to steal), we do not violate the Sabbath and mobilize against them. If they come over matters of life and death (to harm / kill Jews), we are obligated to violate the Sabbath and mobilize in order to defeat the attackers.

However, if the oppressed city is along the border, then, even if these enemies are only coming to steal a piece of grain, we are obligated to violate the Sabbath in order to mobilize and defeat the attackers. This is the case even if our enemies haven't attacked yet, but it is known that they are planning to attack - the Sabbath can be violated and the Jews can mobilize against their attackers.

Section 7:

There are those that say, that in our times, even if attackers come to steal (money) from a city within the borders of Israel, the Sabbath is to be violated and the Jews are to mobilize against their attackers, because if the Jews don't defend their property - this will ultimately embolden the attackers to murder Jews, as well.

If only the government of the State of Israel would have acted in accordance with Jewish Law in response to the very first Qassam rockets fired into the Jewish communities along the border of Israel - communities such as Sderot - the Jewish State would not have been forced to endure 5 years of daily missile barrages.

Furthermore, it is very likely, should our "enlightened leaders" have acted in accordance with Jewish Law on this matter, that our enemies would have never had the audacity to attempt such an attack as the one that resulted in the deaths of two of our soldiers and led to the abduction of a third. as they would have known that even the smallest of attacks against the Jewish State - particularly along the border, would be met with an overwhelming response.

There can be no doubt that Jewish Law can provide relevant solutions to many of the challenges facing the Jewish State. If only the "esteemed leaders" of the Jewish State would be open to learning the wisdom of their heritage.

Israel
Jewish
Judaism
Zionism