Episode 226 - Parshat Matot-Masei: Ethics of Warfare, Then and Now

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody wrote Ethics of Our Fighters: A Jewish View on War and Morality before the events of October 7th. Yet its publication shortly after the outbreak of the war in Gaza made the book especially timely—and deeply resonant. In it, R. Brody offers a “Jewish Multi-Value Framework” to navigate the often competing ethical considerations that arise in times of war—from the perspective of both those engaged in combat and those grappling with the moral questions. Drawing on emotionally charged moments from modern Israel’s history and a candid exploration of the biblical texts related to warfare, R. Brody presents a thoughtful structure and vocabulary to approach some of the most difficult ethical dilemmas. In our conversation, we explore the book’s central arguments and the diverse ways Jewish tradition has interpreted scriptural passages about war. These texts can often strike the modern reader as troubling, but as R. Brody points out, generations of sages and commentators have acknowledged these challenges and offered meaningful interpretive lenses through which to understand them. You can find R. Brody's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Ethics-Our-Fighters-Jewish-Morality/dp/159264676X This week's episode has been sponsored by Shuli Rockoff in observance of the Yahrzeit for her mother, Hudell Ruchama bat Avraham Shlomo and Etta Malka on the 25th of Tammuz.