Sunday, September 8, 2024
In this week’s parsha, the Torah portrays for us an accurate and unforgiving view of war and its personal consequences. No one who participates in a war escapes unscathed from these consequences. The ones who are killed or wounded have suffered these consequences on their very physical bodies. But even those who have survived the battle whole are affected by the consequences of that struggle.
That is the supremely important, albeit subliminal message of the beginning of this week’s parsha. A Jewish soldier, who according to the ritual requirements of becoming such a soldier and being accepted for the battle as outlined in last week’s parsha, a God-fearing patriotic and observant...
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Sunday, September 1, 2024
Law and order are the hallmarks of a functioning democratic society. The concept that one can receive fair redress for damages and hurts through an equitable system of established justice is central to the concept of a free society that provides individual rights to its citizens. However, dictatorships also provide law and order for those who live under their rule - a little too much law and order. And therein is the eternal contest, between an ordered and properly functioning society and an individual’s inherent freedoms and rights.
There is a great deal of space and latitude between anarchy and dictatorial rule. The Torah speaks to this issue but allows for a great deal of human...
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