War or Peace?

Much ink has been spilled as to whether it was appropriate for President Obama to have been selected to receive this year's Nobel Peace Prize. How could a president conducting a war receive a prize that is widely seen to promote peace? Even more generally, can war actually advance the cause the peace?

President Obama gave an eloquent and thoughtful response to that question when he received the award and I just wanted to add a Jewish perspective to the question.

One might think that religion by definition should be pacifist. Belief in God should lead to the Christian notion, for example, of turning the other cheek, or rising above our human emotions of anger and revenge. Religion should help us be better people and, by extension, should help nations become more idealistic and altruistic.

Judaism however recognizes that our job is to make the world a better place. In so doing physical force and violence might be necessary. For example, if someone is clearly intent on killing you, you have the right to kill him first. The 6th commandment (of the 10) says "do not murder" (not "do not kill"). Judaism has always understood that situations will arise when safety and life need to be protected and the only way may be to use physical force.

Of course that isn't the ideal. We pray for the coming of the messiah and the return to the Garden of Eden when all people will live together in peace in harmony. Until that day comes, evil will persist in the world and it is our duty - our moral and religious obligation - to eradicate evil. The process of ridding the world of evil is the process of achieving peace.

May that day come soon in our lifetime.

How do you spell Maccabee?

Spelling the name Maccabee shouldn't be difficult. But how you spell it in the original Hebrew can be a cause for major debate and could reflect religious tension. As we know there are two letters in Hebrew that make the "k" sound - "caf" (the backward "c") and "kuf" (the letter with the tail). It is unclear how the Maccabee family spelled their name back in 165 BCE. 

If they spelled it with a "kuf" then their name means hammer. Makes sense for a family that led the military revolt against the Syrian Greek army. This band of brothers used clever guerrilla warfare tactics to lead the highly outnumbered Jews to victory and restored Jewish autonomy to the land of Israel.

But if their name were spelled with a "caf" then it becomes an acronym for "Mi Camocha Ba'elim Adonay" - "who is like You among other gods O God" - the famous line recited by the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt and recited in our prayers twice a day. If their name is spelled with a "caf" then it reflects the idea that God played a major role in the defeat of the Syrian Greeks and purifying the Temple and restoring the service. 

So which is it? Is the holiday of Hanukkah and the Maccabean revolt a human victory or a divine miracle? I say it's a little of both. When right defeats might, when the oppressed are able to free themselves from persecution, then that is a bold victory. It takes great human effort and resolve to do so. If successful it can be seen later as if it were miraculous. 

Spell Maccabee with a "caf" and a "kuf" recognizing that with God's help we can be inspired to change the world for the better. Happy Hanukkah!