This Week
Insight
Remember
When •
Rules Of Engagement
From the pages of the Jewish News for
this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.
Rabbi Paul Yedwab offers Judaic perspective on war and peace
to Detroit Friends of Bar-Ran University.
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer
T
he invitation to speak on "Revenge and Justice:
A Jewish Perspective" allowed Rabbi Paul
Yedwab to evaluate the basis of anti-Semitism
and the Jewish viewpoint on war, all in light of
the Sept. 11 attacks on America.
Disheartened by those who see Judaism as a religion of
revenge, the Temple Israel rabbi offered his insight at a
Nov. 27 Detroit Friends of Bar-Ilan University quarterly
Food and Thought program at the Max M. Fisher
Federation Building in Bloomfield Township.
"Those who mistranslate and misunder-
stand the Torah don't see Judaism as it is —
as a religion of love and compassion and
peace," he said.
He reminded the group of 50 that the-par-
aphrase "do unto others as you wish them to
do unto you" has a Jewish talmudic origin.
"[The sage] Hillel was challenged to recite
the entire Torah while standing on one foot.
Hillel replied with the words, 'What is hate-
ful unto you, do not do unto others. That is
the entire Torah. The rest is commentary.' " .
The Torah verse that includes the line, "an
eye for an eye" (Exodus 21:24), has brought
criticism on the Torah and is grossly misin-
terpreted, Rabbi Yedwab says.
The words never meant literally to cut out
an eye to avenge the cutting of another. "It
meant damages of 'an eye for an eye,' he says.
Since early rabbinic times, the Jewish inter-
pretation of "an eye for an eye" has been "the
worth of an eye" for an eye.
Talmudic guidelines were developed for •
calculating damages, similar to modern-day
compensation for medical bills, lost income
and pain and suffering.
Language barriers have caused much misinterpretation.
"Even the most open-minded Christian academics in the
Middle Ages knew only Greek, Latin and Hebrew," he
says. They found few books in the languages they spoke
and were led to those in Aramaic. These they mistranslat-
ed, seeing Judaism, he said, "as a wrathful religion with a
wrathful God."
Jews And War
While the Torah explicitly prohibits revenge (Leviticus
19:18), war is sometimes permissibl e.
"There is the elective war, which is not justified, and
the obligatory war," Rabbi Yedwab says, with the latter
being based on self-defense.
11/30
2001
38
1991
He cites Maimonides (1,6) in terming one who pursues
another with the intent of murder as a rodef who may,
according to the Torah, be killed.
"When [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon goes after a
Hamas leader who is trying to kill, it is clearly obligatory
to go after him — to save lives," the rabbi said. "In my
opinion, the only mitzvah milchamah [obligatory war] I've
lived through is the one we are in now in America [against
terrorism and terrorist regimes]."
He conceded the war effort needed Americans "to look at
civil rights, look at the mail and personal safety in new ways.
"Some say we must be like the Israelis and lose some of
our freedom to be safe."
"In my opinion,
the only mitzvah
milchamah
[obligatory war]
I've lived through
is the one we
are in now in
America [against
terrorism and
terrorist regimes].
— Rabbi Paul Yedwab
He described the proposed military tribunals for terror-
ism suspects as "appropriate and desirable in a mitzvah
milchamah."
Audience member Fern Baker of Camarillo, Calif, agreed.
"Israel has been living this way for so many years," she said.
Added her husband, Herb, "Like in Israel, there's no for-
giveness here. We have been personally threatened and
there's no turning the other cheek."
"In Jewish tradition, our response is to make the world a
better place," said Paul Zlotoff of Bloomfield Hills, who
attended the program with his wife, Linda, president of
Detroit Friends of Bar-Ilan.
The rabbi's words reminded Zlotoff of an important
need. "It is critical for our community to understand our
heritage and the meaning of the Torah, and be able to
explain it to others," he said. Li
Shira Roszler of Oak Park was named
grand prize winner in the Detroit
Jewish News Chanukah Art Contest.
Two Israeli students rook partial
aid scholarships at Oakland
University in Rochester Hills and
were helping the soccer team to a
winning season.
1981
Detroiter Cynthia Raim made her
recital debut at Kaufmann Hall at
the New York City YM/YWHA.
Twenty Jewish cadets entered the
West Point Military Academy, West
Point, N.Y.
1971
Mrs. Moshe Dayan, wife of the
Israel defense minister, spoke at a
reception given by the
Metropolitan Detroit Federation of
Reform Synagogues at the Great
Lakes Club.
Detroiter Jane Sherman received
the Sylvia Simon Greenberg Award
for outstanding young leadership
from the Jewish Welfare Federation.
1961
William Levy, a Jew who advocated
peace between Muslims and
Europeans in Algeria, was shot and
killed in Algiers.
Confusion abounds in the U.S.
Air Force ranks in England: the
Catholic padre is Chaplain Israel; the
Protestant chaplain, Chaplain Klein;
the Jewish chaplain, Sylvan Kamens.
Detroiter Alex Sklar was elected
Man of the Year by the Furniture
Travelers of Michigan.
1951
Fledgling secretaries began studies at
the new commercial curriculum at
Beth Zeiroth Mizrachi in Tel Aviv.
Detroiter Marilyn Music was
installed as president of the
Theodor Herzl Chapter of B'nai
B'rith Girls.
Allan Roth, student at Detroit's
Central High School, attended the
anniversary dinner of the National
Council of Christians and Jews.
— Compiled by Sy Maned°,
editorial assistant