Jsut a few thoughts:<br>Consider the case of Ma'ariv [or arvis] as a reshus. Is it REALLY just a reshus? [see Tosafos]<br><br>Maybe a milchmes mitzva is one that is required immediately while a milchemes reshus is simply one that is like a pre-emptive siirke - iow if you don't fight NOW sooner or later you may have to anyway.
<br><br>EG the time for taking on Amaleik followed the appointment/anointment of Sh'aul as king.<br>Certainly if Israel/Judea wa attacked it had to defend itself - no reshus there<br>But at times it made sense to attack hostile nieghbors pre-emptively. Perhaps that is how the wars of David brought the peace of Shlomoh, by eliminating POTENTIAL enemies.
<br><br>It is a Reshus NOW becasue the enemies are dormant, but it is not simply an exercise in wasting human life<br><br>Consider Presidents Bush's motivation for his Middle East Expeditions. They were pre-emptive. They were therfore a form of Reshus. No imminet threat, but a rising one nevertheless.
<br><br>Consider this proposition: that attacking Nazi Gemrany in 1936 would have been deemd a Reshus; and then think of how that might have SAVED lives and not how it COST lives. <br>-- <br>Kol Tuv- Best Regards,<br>Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
<br><a href="mailto:RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com">RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com</a><br><br><br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 7/28/07, <b class="gmail_sendername"><a href="mailto:kennethgmiller@juno.com">kennethgmiller@juno.com
</a></b> <<a href="mailto:kennethgmiller@juno.com">kennethgmiller@juno.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
In the thread "Charedim and the army", R' Josh Backon wrote:<br>> War is required in what's termed a "Milchemet Mitzva"<br>> and is permitted in what's termed a "Milchemet Reshut".
<br><br>This is totally accurate, of course, and I really can't argue with<br>it. But I reminds me of a question which I've had for a long time,<br>and might even have asked on these pages, but with little or no<br>
response, so I'd like to ask it again.<br><br>What is the rationale behind a milchemes reshus?<br><br>In the past, this chevra has discussed various ways in which the<br>Torah permits activities which modern sensitivities consider wrong
<br>and sinful. Most notably, slavery, but I think we've talked about<br>others too.<br><br>It seems to me that a Milchemes Reshus is not only in this category,<br>but may be even far worse than slavery. After all, even in a worst-
<br>case scenario, one cannot kill his eved. In contrast, in a milchemes<br>reshus, we are killing members of the other nation, and we are<br>putting our own selves in deadly danger.<br><br>And for what purpose? To increase our territory? If our melech wants
<br>the extra territory because he feels threatened and needs more secure<br>borders (as in 1967) one could argue that it is a milchemes *mitzva*.<br>The milchemes *reshus* situation sounds like he wants extra territory<br>
merely for reasons of prestige. Why are we not offended by this<br>concept?<br><br>Akiva Miller<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Avodah mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Avodah@lists.aishdas.org">Avodah@lists.aishdas.org
</a><br><a href="http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org">http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org</a><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br><br>