Hello, I’m Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz the founder of Jews for Judaism. I am speaking to you from our safe room in Israel, a nation currently in the middle of a war with Iran.
Here, daily life is being disrupted by the wail of sirens and the sound of explosions. Tragically, this violence has already claimed innocent lives and left scores of civilians wounded.
We find ourselves in this struggle during the days leading up to Purim, the holiday marking the defeat of Haman’s plot to have the ancient Persian Empire wipe out the Jewish people.
We also recall Haman’s ancestor, Amalek, whose nation was the first to attack the Jewish people as they fled from Egyptian slavery to freedom.
The Torah condemns Amalek’s attack as pure evil not only because he was the first to attack, but because his action emboldened other nations to target the Jewish people.
For this reason, the Torah commands that the memory and cruel ideology of Amalek must be eradicated.
Another reason for the deep hatred toward Amalek is because he forced the Jewish people to 'bloody their hands,' which is the opposite of the “ways of peace” the Jewish people sought to follow.
This value is found in the Torah’s command that prior to war; we must offer our enemies a peaceful alternative to avoid bloodshed.
This reflects our fundamental hope for peace that will materialize in the Messianic age. As the Prophet Isaiah describes as a time when “nations will no longer learn war” and “the wolf will dwell with the lamb.”
Yet, until that vision is realized, the Torah commands us to practice self-defense when threatened, even if the cost of protecting life is the loss of life.
Unlike the ideologies of radical extremism that seek global dominance, Judaism yearns for peace and global harmony.
This is why we greet and depart from one another with the word Shalom, which means peace. We also focus on acts of kindness and charity, especially on Purim when we give gifts to our neighbors, donate a half shekel to charity, and support the poor.
May our acts of kindness and commitment to the Torah hasten the ultimate redemption when the Jewish people will dwell in peace with our neighbors.