Posted on September 4, 2024 by Rabbi David Katz
It’s been a very hard week. The killing of six hostages in Gaza, including Hersh Goldberg Polin, an Israeli/American citizen, has sent tens of thousands of Israelis into the street to demand a ceasefire that will lead to freeing of the remaining hostages. Benjamin Netanyahu has been resolute in his response: “No.” His argument is that Israel will be harmed in the long term if it allows terrorism to succeed in securing the aims of the enemy. He argues that more terrorism – the taking of more hostages – will inevitably follow.
Netanyahu’s position was strongly supported in today’s New York Times by columnist Bret Stephens, who wrote, “A good society will be prepared to go to great lengths to rescue or redeem a captive, whether with risky military operations or exorbitant ransoms. Yet there must also be a limit to what any society can afford to pay. The price for one hostage’s life or freedom cannot be the life or freedom of another — even if we know the name of the first life but not yet the second. That ought to be morally elementary.” (“A Hostage Deal Is a Poison Pill for Israel.” New York Times, 4 September 2024, p. A19)
Do Jewish sources have anything to say about how to balance the moral obligation to free hostages with the potential long-term harm done by allowing terrorism to succeed as an extortion strategy? Yes, most definitely. In our Responsa literature the arguments are laid out clearly on both sides of the issue. The answer is not definitive but learning the nuances of the arguments can be very helpful in developing an intelligent point of view. (https://www.ccarnet.org/ccar-responsa/tfn-no-5753-5-321-326/)
This week’s Torah portion is “Shoftim” and it concerns judges, justice, and impartial judgement. (The word “shoftim” means “judges.”) In the portion these two verses appear: “Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that your God is giving you,” (Dt. 16:20) and “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…” (Dt. 19:21) On Friday night I will be speaking about how our tradition balances justice and mercy, logic and instinct, immediate action and long term goals. These are eternal questions of life and urgent matters for today.
L’shalom,
Rabbi David Katz
