Rabbi Bar Tzadok on Jewish Obligation to Own Guns

[muman613]

Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok has just posted a very interesting article on a Jews obligation to arm himself. It is entitled "The Obligation To Bear Arms Not Just A Right, But A Responsibility".

I spoke with the Rabbi over a year ago and I think that he seems to share our hope for a strong Jewish state in the Holy Land. He certainly supports a Jews right to defend himself against antisemitism..


http://www.koshertorah.com/PDF/beararms2011.pdf

The Obligation To Bear Arms
Not Just A Right, But A Responsibility
by Ariel Bar Tzadok
Copyright © 2011 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.

Biblical scripture is clear that the Children of Israel left their enslavement in Egypt armed and ready for battle as it is written, “And the children of Israel were armed when they went up out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:18). Although scripture records that G-d used a miracle to wipe out Pharaoh's pursuing army at the Red Sea, nevertheless, days later the people were attacked by their ruthless enemy Amalek.

When Amalek attacked, no lighting bolts struck them down from Heaven, no supernatural event occurred winning the battle for Israel even before the fight. No, scripture is clear, the Children of Israel, just recently released from slavery, possibly without any military training, were still expected to and required by the circumstances to go into battle and fight for their liberty and their lives.

G-d indeed blessed their endeavors. Still, if the Children of Israel did not go out and fight Amalek, they would have succumbed to their attackers and would have been killed. Indeed, if they had no tools for self defense, they would not have been able to fight. We must learn from these events some chilling and sobering facts. G-d wants us to be armed and indeed, G-d ordains circumstances where we are expected, if not required to fight. Freedom, it seems, only survives for those willing and able to fight for it.

Throughout  Biblical  times,  the  Children  of  Israel  were  certainly  no  strangers  to  either weaponry or to the use of them.  Both Moses and Joshua, directed by G-d and blessed by Him to wage war, still did not rely upon supernatural interventions to win their battles.  Each led the armies of Israel to wage war in real terms, with real weapons, and most certainly with real causalities.  Throughout the days of the Judges and Kings, warfare was the way of the Israelite people.  There is even scriptural suggestions of a possible martial arts system existing in those days, focusing on hand-to-hand combat and the use of specialized weapons (as was the case with David against Goliath). 

Aside from the ancient Kingdoms of Israel and Judah each having armies and soldiers, we see that even after the destruction of the First Temple during the time period referred to in the Biblical Book of Esther, the Jews of ancient Persia were able to rally against their enemies and vanquished tens of thousands of them using standard forms of warfare and combat. 

Later Jewish history speaks of the Maccabee wars against the Grecian/Syrians and the later Revolutionary War fought (and lost) against Rome.  Even after the destruction of the Second Temple, the martial spirit had not left Israel.  Just two generations after the Roman Wars, a new independence movement arose under a freedom fighter named Bar Kokhba.  He too failed to redeem Israel from Roman oppression, but nevertheless, the spirit of independence and the will to fight for it certainly did not die alongside his failed mission.

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[JimmyGentile]

Thanks for the post. Its amazing how we can read the book of Exodus, and miss such an important verse that explains that the children of Israel came out of their captivity armed. I admit, I have read the book of Exodus many times, but never really saw that verse. Its amazing and really gives you a broader picture of things. I even remember Rabbi Kahane saying, "Miracles dont just happen, you need to do everything in your power and God will do the rest."