A Divine Mandate in War: End Collective Punishment Now

Dear friends,

I am sharing a letter that calls upon our esteemed rabbis to reflect on the Torah’s strong stance against collective punishment. This message, rooted in our shared heritage, reminds us that only God can judge on a grand scale.

If you resonate with this perspective, I encourage you to forward it to your local rabbi or any rabbinic leader you know. For those who are not Jewish, your support is equally vital—please feel free to share this letter within your own community networks, with Jewish friends, or by contacting a nearby synagogue. Our collective voice, guided by the moral teachings of the Torah, can help uphold the dignity and sanctity of innocent life everywhere.

B’shem Hashem, Ribbono Shel Olam

In the name of the One and Only, Creator of All

Esteemed Teachers and Guardians of our Holy Tradition,

We come before you in reverence, seeking to clarify a grave matter that concerns our entire people. Our aim is not to wade into policy or politics, but rather to reaffirm our loyalty to the commandments of HaKadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, Blessed be He). In doing so, we humbly request your guidance so we may align our communal actions with the timeless truths of the Torah.

“Parents shall not be put to death for children, nor children be put to death for parents; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” — Devarim (Deuteronomy) 24:16

Our tradition is unequivocal: only those proven guilty of wrongdoing must be held accountable. Any attempt to punish an entire group for the transgressions of specific individuals runs counter to this principle. The Torah thus sets a high bar for justice, consistent with God’s own perfect judgment.

A Sobering Historical Lesson

We learn further from the cautionary tale of King David’s census (II Shmuel 24; I Divrei HaYamim 21). When David presumed to “count” and thereby claim a dominion over life and national strength that belongs to the Almighty alone, severe consequences ensued. The lesson is sobering: no mortal—no government, no leader—may overstep the divine prerogative of adjudicating life and death on a sweeping scale.

Our halakhic (Jewish legal) corpus, from Mishneh Torah to Shulchan Aruch, echoes this emphasis on individual accountability. Even in matters of self-defense or wartime strategy, the distinction between the guilty and the innocent remains paramount. To do otherwise is to stray from the justice demanded by the Judge of all the earth.

The Call of Yirat Shamayim

Yet these halakhic rulings, as rational and binding as they are, cannot stand alone without the heartbeat of yirat Shamayim (awe of Heaven) and the call of tikun hamiddot (ethical self-improvement). The greatest Torah luminaries—Maimonides, Ramban, the Chafetz Chaim—all teach that halakhah must penetrate the heart, not just govern external acts. If we engage in collective harm, we risk wounding our own spiritual integrity and distancing ourselves from the Shechinah (Divine Presence).

Humility Before the Master of Life and Death

At its core, this issue is not about political maneuvering or territorial claims. It is about bowing in humility before the Master of Life and Death. The Torah describes Moses as “very humble, more so than any man on earth” (Bamidbar (Numbers) 12:3). He recognized that true authority belongs only to the Ribbono Shel Olam (Master of the Universe). By contrast, whenever leaders or nations have trespassed the boundaries of God’s jurisdiction—be it through unwarranted aggression, collective retribution, or neglect of the weak—our people have faced dire spiritual consequences.

“He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.” — Michah 6:8

Walking humbly does not signal weakness. Rather, it proclaims absolute obedience to God’s Will, acknowledging we are His servants—not masters over human lives. It is this anavah (humility) that has distinguished the righteous among us across generations and safeguarded the moral standing of Am Yisrael (the People of Israel).

We plead for the preservation of innocent life not because of secular values or diplomatic pressures, but because the Torah demands it. We yearn to mirror Avraham Avinu’s compassion when he pleaded for the righteous of Sodom, even though the city’s judgment was warranted. We invoke the memory of King David, who learned—through painful divine reproof—that presuming total control over others’ fate defies the Eternal King.

When we muster the humility to obey God, we acknowledge that only the Almighty wields perfect justice. Our role, in contrast, is to ensure that every step we take in defense of our people remains anchored in the moral truth handed down at Sinai—lest we stretch out our hand beyond what the Torah permits.

In the spirit of King David’s plea, “I have sinned greatly,” we strive not to point fingers but to awaken hearts—beginning with our own. If we stand by quietly, failing to protest methods that risk the lives of those not proven guilty, do we not share in the transgression of usurping God’s domain?

May Hashem grant us the strength and humility to do what is right in His eyes, to safeguard the innocent, and to uphold the sanctity of His holy Torah.

B’kavod rav u’ve’irah (with profound respect and awe),

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To share this message If these words resonate, please forward this letter to any rabbi or spiritual leader you know. Let us come together in the spirit of our treasured tradition to uphold its moral imperatives and protect the innocent.

Thank you for reading and sharing.

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