The Ethics of War - Taught by Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody

Class 1: November 29, 12:00 PM

Siege Warfare and Minimizing Collateral

Damage: “Forewarning” and “Roof-Knocking” in Jerusalem and Lebanon

 Sieges are one of the oldest and common forms of warfare,

including many examples in Tanakh. They can also cause

great suffering, as claimed now by some of Israel’s critics.

What’s the controversy about? We’ll explore the important

halakhic limitations applied to sieges and what Jews might

have learned from our horrific experiences in ancient wars.

Class 2: December 6, 12:00 PM

Captive Dilemmas, Then and Now:

Halakhic Perspectives on Freeing

Hostages

242 captives are being held by Hamas in Gaza. What

obligation does Israel have to free these hostages, and

at what cost? We’ll explore the tragic history of hostage

taking and ransoms and ask what those precedents

might teach us about today’s situation.

Zoom link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81622228049

Passcode: 816732