[Avodah] What was AA Hetter to Engage in War

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Meir Rabi writes:

> But these observations do not address our issue, which is:
> Under what circumstances is the army permitted to engage in
> life threatening activities? Does R Zev think that Milchemet
> Reshut is a war that is prompted by any whim of the king,
> the BD or the people?

No, not their "whim". Their *decision*, based on however much discussion and investigation they deem appropriate under the circumstances.

> It is obvious that expanding borders and increasing greatness
> and fame are strategies of reinforcing and guaranteeing the
> safety of EY. Of course there is also a financial gain but I
> don't believe we can prove that financial gain alone is a
> Halachically sound Hetter to go to war and endanger Yiddishe
> lives.

That depends on the circumstances. A situation which seems to have only a moderate economic impact in the short term, might be seen as having a major survival impact in the long term.

My sensitivities are similar to those of RMR. I sure hope that we would not go to war over trivialities. But I also trust the Melech and his Beis Din to determine what is trivial and what is not. The very fact that the Torah does sanction a Milchemes Reshus (regardless of how it is defined) seems to indicate that not all wars are so clear-cut, and that even the less clear-cut ones might be legitimate.

Akiva Miller

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