[Avodah] Why is Milchemes Reshus allowed?

[Richard Wolpoe]

On 8/24/07, Shoshana L. Boublil <toramada at bezeqint.net> wrote:
>
> >From: "kennethgmiller at juno.com" <kennethgmiller at juno.com>
>
> >
> Until WWII, economic reasons, and not piku'ach nefesh type
> ones, were sufficient to start a war.   Just look through
> the Torah and then general history and you'll see plenty of
> occasions where kings led their people to war for economic
> reasons that included the possibility of future needs.
>
>
>
> Shoshana L. Boublil
>
>
Let's get something straight.  Economic reasons do not preclude  pikuach
nefesh - Witness the US Civil War!

Japan attacked the USA at Pearl harbor as a pre-emptive attack because Japan
wa sexpanding for essentially economic reasons. Japanese imperialism in
China was mostly about natural resources but it did not prevent them from
engaging in war crimes that at times exceeded the Nazis viz. Biological
warfare

The criteria I gave was not about piku'ach nefesh. It was about hostility.
It was a slam-dunk that by 1941 Japan nad the USA wer HOSTILE to each other
but not belligerent.  The mild suprpise was that Germany and Italy  declared
war on the USA a day or 2 after Pearl Harbor.

The point is any nation that is CHRONICALLY hostile  - e.g. Phillistines -
would precipitate a Milchemes Reshus in my definition.  Shiva Amim & Amaleik
have their own  Torah based criteria.  And self-defense would precipitate a
Milchama.

Look at Avraham and Avimelech.  ECONOMIC hiostility over precious water in
the Negev was enough reason to go to war.  If Avraham Avinu had the military
prowess of David Hamelech it is quite possible he could have gone to war.
Aftger all he battled the 4 melachim for less provocation.

The Reshus that would be verbotten imho is something like the USA annexing
Canada just to get more resources when the 2 nations have had  peace for
over a century.

Japan attacked the USA on 12/07/19441 Primarily over oil.  This is nothing
new.  Just remember that relations were strained to begin with


-- 
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RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
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