Beliefs & Practices

Few traditional sources discuss the ethics of fighting noncombatants, but some Jewish laws of war do display a moral genesis.

Deuteronomy 20 permits wars of aggression, but the talmudic rabbis made it difficult to declare one.

When lives are at stake, Judaism permits--and probably requires--fighting.

Judaism distinguishes between commanded wars and permitted wars.

Combat and Conflict in Jewish Tradition. Jewish Views on War and Peace. Jewish Ideas and Beliefs.

The Torah lists several categories of men who are exempt from war fighting.

Jewish tradition never embraced complete pacifism, though minimizing violence has always been a priority.

The "hidden God" of the Purim story can serve as a model for God's role in the modern world.

The misguided belief that one needs all body parts intact to be resurrected may contribute to the poor rate of organ donation--even for Jews with otherwise untraditional beliefs.

The metaphor of Israel as the wife of God receives several potent and shocking midrashic reinterpretations as the rabbis reflect on Israel's suffering and persecution.

If homosexuality is not chosen, then there is precedent in Jewish law for condoning it.

Non-marital sex is not ideal, but that doesn't mean Judaism has nothing to say about it.