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In this letter, the Rebbe addresses his position on how to avoid war and maintain peace in Eretz Yisrael:

…I duly received your letter and I am replying to it on a priority basis in view of the strange question which you ask in your letter.

It surprised me that you should entertain such a thought or indeed, suspect anyone who knows of and believes in the Ten Commandments that one would advocate the breaking of any one of them, let alone “Thou shalt not murder.”

Trying to figure out how you could possibly come to such an absurd thought, I see that the only explanation could be your misunderstanding the quotation of our Sages (Sanhedrin 72a) which I had occasion to cite. It is to the effect that when a person knows that someone is planning to kill him, he ought to take all steps to thwart that attempt.

It is well known that our Sages always chose their words carefully and they so indicated also in the above situation, not to imply, G-d forbid, that the would-be killer should be killed but only that the threatened victim should be prepared to meet the threat, for that in itself would deter the murderer, knowing that his attempt would be properly met. This is also what I meant in connection. with the open war declaration of the peoples surrounding Eretz Yisrael. I added that, in my opinion based on the said statement of our Sages, the proper response to the threat of war and annihilation was not to show a weakness by running and telling everybody that the liberated areas would be handed over, but on the contrary, would be interpreted as a weakness, with the result that the enemies would be encouraged to attempt to gain more and more by war and the threats of war. This would not be so if the proper stance is taken to show that the Jews are not afraid or intimidated and are in fact ready to meet force with force, if there would be no other way. This indeed is the right policy to avoid war.

(From a letter dated 11th of Cheshvan, 5733; The Letter and the Spirit, Vol 5  p. 421)

Tefillin: Protective Gear For a Soldier

In this letter, the Rebbe sends a message to a soldier in the air-force on how he ought to protect himself :

…You mention that… is in the air force, and I am enclosing herewith a little booklet a message from my father-in-law. Send it to him together with my blessing that he conduct himself in accordance with the Will of G-d and be especially careful in putting on Tefillin on all weekdays, then G-d will protect him and return him safely home in due course.

Explain to him that just as a soldier has to be properly equipped (with helmet, khaki, etc.) for protection, and a breach of this discipline is not only an offense against himself but also against the whole company or regiment whose safety is weakened by the failure of one soldier, so it is in the case of the Jew who has special “equipment” ordered by G-d, of which Tefillin is one of the most important, and necessary not only for his own safety but also for the benefit of his fellow servicemen. You may, of course, quote me on this.

(Letter to Mr. Aaron Avigdor Cousin dated 11 Nissan 5714; Teshura Dubrawsky, 7 Adar, 5758)

The Army as a Stimulus For Jewish Observance

…After not hearing from you for a long time, I received regards from you and the news that you are now in the army. I am therefore sending you a little booklet that was once published by my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly memory, as a message to Jewish servicemen. Its contents are of course valid and appropriate for Jewish servicemen at the present time.

Recalling our conversation on the occasion of your visit, I confidently trust that your daily conduct is in full harmony with the Jewish way of life, the way of the Torah and Mitzvos. As a matter of fact, now that you are in the army, army life and discipline should serve as a further stimulus in this direction, in light of the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov that every experience in life should serve as a lesson on how better to serve G-d. I particularly have in mind the basic principle of military training and conduct, namely, strict discipline and obedience to the orders of a superior. Added to this is the principle of mutual responsibility which is also very basic to military life, inasmuch as the conduct of the individual soldier is not only a reflection upon his whole unit and the army at large, but may often involve the very safety of the unit, or even the fate of an entire battlefront. Very often the minor infraction of a military rule by an individual soldier may have far-reaching consequences for the soldier directly concerned, as well as for his buddies. Here, clearly is a case where no soldier can say, “My actions and conduct are my own affair, and nobody else’s business.”

Now if the above is true in relation to an order and a system of discipline instituted by human beings, how much more is it true in relation to the discipline instituted, and commands given, by G-d Himself to every Jew, for indeed every one of us is considered a soldier in G-d’s army.

Needless to say, you may convey the content of this letter to your fellow Jewish servicemen.

(From a 5727/1967 letter to a Jewish soldier stationed in Fort Lewis, Washington; The Letter and the Spirit, Vol 1 p. 200) 

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