Morality in War

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1. The King of Ai and the Altar at Mount Eval

   Rabbi Michael Hattin

   The text highlights the moral dimension of the conflict, emphasizing that Israel's wars of conquest must not be exercises in gratuitous bloodshed, unrestrained plunder and cruel vengeance. While it is necessary to put the inhabitants of Ai to death in the course of the battle, their king, the symbol of their temporal might and power, is dispatched without recourse to torture, while his body is shortly thereafter removed from the gallows and buried without mutilation, two telling departures from the conventions of ancient warfare. The placement of the passage describing the assembly at Mount Eval is to emphatically declare that Israel can only survive the passage over the Yarden and the entry into Canaan if they put God's Torah at the forefront of their concerns and their mission as His people as their national objective.

2. Chapter 9 Conclusion: The War of Conquest and the Pretense of the Giv'onites

   Rabbi Michael Hattin

   In light of the story of the Givonim, this lesson will look at the Torah’s attitude toward appropriate behavior in war. According to Torah law, warfare must be waged in accordance with Divine principles. The Israelites are expected to adhere to guidelines that govern their conduct and that set limitations on their behavior in conflict.

3. A Floating Axe Head and a Blind Army

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   Why do the Bnei Ha'Nevi'im seak a new place to live? Could it be that the departure of Geihazi with the problems associated with him open the doors to new students to join Elisha? 

   Wars are characterized by aggression and domination. The king of Aram sought to use his superior firepower to bludgeon Elisha into submission. In contrast, Elisha's way is not the path of confrontation, but rather the provision of food and drink, hospitality, kindness, and humanity. Ultimately, this makes a deeper impression than war.