War: between destruction and redemption — the power of change in crisis

Source: The voice of prophecy in the storm

When there is a great war in the world, the power of Messiah is awakened. The time of pruning has arrived, the pruning of tyrants; the wicked are eradicated from the world and the world becomes fragrant, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The individuals who perish without justice, within the upheaval of the torrent of war, possess a measure of the atoning death of the righteous. They ascend on high to the root of life, and the essence of their lives brings a general value for good and for blessing to the overall building of the world in all its values and meanings. And afterward, when the war ends, the world is renewed with a new spirit, and the footsteps of Messiah are revealed more clearly; and in proportion to the magnitude of the war, in its quantity and quality, so grows the anticipation for the footsteps of Messiah within it.

(Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, Orot HaMilchama, Chapter 1)

Explanation: The human cost of historical transformation

During World War I, Rabbi Kook wrote that war, with all its horrors, is a time for change. A revolution is needed to renew the world, bring a new redemption, and bring closer the days of Messiah. War, Rabbi Kook emphasizes, is not a personal matter; those killed in it did not die because of individual sins, but simply because it is war. The blood of the fallen and the sacrifice of their lives bring a great repair to the world. In their death, they commanded us to live.

Perspective: Between evolution and revolution: When is blood required for repair?

The course of history moves in two rhythms: one movement of change and repair — a slow evolution; and a second movement of revolution and ruin — a revolution of blood, sweat, and tears. Most of the time we are called to act with moderation, through sensitive change and repair, with confidence and common sense. Yet moderation sometimes leads to complacency, to a meaningless life, to stagnation and boredom.

That is why, at times, war comes — a war that repairs society, restores hope and courage, and demands sacrifice. Rabbi Kook looks at the beginning of the 20th century and sees a world shaking off the days of ignorance and cruelty, a world fighting for the repair of reality.

Going Deeper: Romanticism and war: 19th-century European views

In the late 18th century, the Romantic movement arose, steering historical currents throughout the 19th century. Its proponents championed nationalism, individualism, emotion, naturalness and simplicity, inner listening, and heroism.

Historian Barbara Tuchman, in her book The Proud Tower (in the chapter "The Steady Drummer"), quotes Heinrich von Treitschke, a German historian and statesman:

"War, von Treitschke taught, was the only medicine for sick nations... The hope of banishing war was not only senseless, but immoral. 'Its disappearance would turn the earth into a vast temple of selfishness.'... War was seen as a cleansing bath, a 'fountain of youth' against the stagnant waters of rising materialism... The idea of war as a biological necessity, as a condition for the health of the nation, spread steadily."

Rabbi Kook also sees war as a path toward repairing the world, but not as a way of life — rather as a means of defense and creation, not an instrument of domination and cruelty.

Culture: Shooting and crying: The combatant's moral paradox

Following the Six-Day War, a discourse among combatants emerged known as "shooting and crying" — those who fight the enemy yet feel pangs of conscience. Here are excerpts from a satirical piece by Kobi Niv:

Back during his pioneer training, Zeev said that without strength nothing would ever be built here, and Sonya agreed with him, but said that without morality nothing would ever remain here, and Zeev agreed with her. Therefore, they decided, they would name their first son "Shooting" and teach him to shoot, and their second son they would name "Crying" and teach him to cry. And so it was.

Except that in the evening, when Shooting came home from target practice, Sonya, who believed that without morality nothing would remain here, would teach her son to cry too. And when Crying came home in the evening from crying practice, Zeev, who believed that without strength nothing would be built here, would teach his son to shoot too. And thus Shooting and Crying went out into life.

Whenever there is a war, Shooting and Crying are the first to rally to the flag, because that is how they were raised. They fight like lions, soar like eagles, and kill without fear. "Shooting and Crying are the finest of our youth," the commander always says after the battle.