[Avodah] What was AA's Hetter to endanger his people

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Nov 06, 2011 at 08:38:59AM -0500, Zev Sero wrote:
> On the contrary, the halacha explicitly permits "milchemet reshut".
> And the gemara says that a kingdom that wipes out a sixth of the world's
> population in a war is within its rights.

A milchemes reshus isn't just for finances, though.

In David haMelekh's case, they weren't just stealing the straw, they
were thereby threatening the rule of law in a boarder city and thus
nibbling at the edges of his sovereignty. A country has to be sound.
The other example we have from David haMelekh is his conquering Suria.
In neither case was it simply about money.

There is a machloqes tannaim as to whether a preemptive war is a milkhemes
mitzvah, or a milkhemes reshus that happens to be compelling for other
reasons. Difference only being whether a chasan and kallah are drafted.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             A wise man is careful during the Purim banquet
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