Can we justify our actions morally? – United Hebrew Congregation Terre Haute

I have been doing some serious thinking about the attack on Iran by both Israel and the United States. In my research, I have found the following to be helpful in exploring an obvious dilemma: Can we justify our actions morally?

The prospect of an attack on Iran presents a complex ethical dilemma within Judaism, challenging the tension between the imperative to defend life and the prohibition against unjustified bloodshed.

While Jewish law prioritizes the preservation of life and permits pre-emptive, self-defensive actions against imminent threats, it also strongly emphasizes pursuing peace, proportionality, and avoiding unnecessary destruction.

The sanctity of life vs. pre-emptive action

A core principle in Jewish ethics is pikuach nefesh, which mandates that the preservation of life overrides almost all other religious obligations. In the context of existential threats, the Talmudic injunction (Sanhedrin 72a) advises: “If someone comes to kill you, rise early to kill him first.” This creates legal justification for acting against an enemy threatening immediate, lethal violence.

Key aspects of pikuach nefesh include:

• Supreme value: “Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” (Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:5)
• Obligation, not option: It is a mandatory requirement to act when a life is in danger.
• Scope: Applies to immediate life-threatening danger as well as potential, future threats.
• Exceptions: The only restrictions that cannot be broken to save a life are idolatry, murder, and forbidden sexual relations.
• Mental health: This principle extends to protecting mental health, not just physical life.

However, many Jewish scholars distinguish between a pre-emptive strike (aimed at an imminent threat) and a preventive war (a speculative attack to stop a potential, future threat).

The ethical, and often moral, contention surrounding an attack on Iran hinges on whether the threat is considered “instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means.”

If the threat is deemed speculative, a preemptive attack might be considered a “prohibited war” rather than a legitimate act of self-defense, violating the requirement to seek peace first.

Moral limitations: restraint and proportionality

Even when self-defense is required, Jewish law demands strict limitations.

• Proportionality and minimization: Jewish military ethics require that only the minimum necessary force be used to achieve the goal. An attack must be tailored to neutralize the specific danger, not to cause general devastation.
• Avoiding civilian harm: While recognizing the harsh realities of war, Jewish tradition emphasizes, as noted in World Mizrachi, the importance of not harming non-combatants and, if possible, allowing them to escape.
• Preventing waste: The prohibition against bal tashchit (needless destruction) extends to destroying resources, including infrastructure.

The pursuit of peace

Judaism places a profound emphasis on the pursuit of peace, with Shalom (peace) being a foundational value.

Even when we are forced to engage in conflict, the ultimate goal should be to restore stability rather than to satisfy vengeance. The Talmud warns in Pirkei Avot that the sword comes to the world for the delay of judgment.

Conclusion

From a Jewish perspective, an attack on Iran is not viewed through a single lens.

It is a tension between the duty of self-defense against a potential “pursuer” (rodef) and the deep ethical commitment to peace, proportionality, and the minimization of innocent suffering.

While some interpretations may allow for pre-emptive action to prevent catastrophe, the dominant, principled approach requires that such actions be taken with great hesitation, as a last resort, and with strict adherence to moral limitations, avoiding wanton destruction and unnecessary loss of life.

Whether the actions can be justifiable, morally, may well depend on what happens next — bearing in mind that the evidence of imminent threat exists at all.

Scott Skillman is president of United Hebrew Congregation.