As Jews, sometimes we must not just stand up for our rights, but we must just “stand,” period. In our tradition, standing is more than a posture or a figure of speech. It is a declaration of presence and priority. We stand for elders, for Torah scholars, and of course for the sefer Torah.
In the legal world, standing defines one’s stake in a matter. In the moral world, it defines our commitment to truth. We must stand up for what is right, and condemn what is wrong.
There is a classic reference book called Otzar Divrei Chachamim Upisgamayhem – Treasury of the words of our wise people and their proverbs. It was first published in1933 by Rabbi Aaron Hyman, who incidentally was the father of the second wife of the American philanthropist Harry Fischel (great-grandfather of this writer).
In this monumental treasury, the author catalogues five distinct legal maxims beginning with the words kol ha’omed – all who stand ready. Two of them stand out for our purposes at this time.
- Sprinkling – Kol ha’omed lizrok k’zaruk dami– A person who stands ready to sprinkle [the blood of a korban] is like one who has already sprinkled it (Bava Kama 76b, but see below);
- Redeeming – Kol ha’omed lifdot k’faduy dami– That which is ready to be redeemed is as if already redeemed (Pesachim 13.
It should be noted that the first of these maxims actually appears in another location in the Talmud as well – Menachot 79b, the daf yomi we recently studied, which triggered this article at this time. The source cited in the reference book, however, is indeed the first citation of it.
The original reference consolidates the two maxims, and treats them more as legal principles, with Rabbi Shimon ruling that any [blood] that is ready to be sprinkled [in the Beit HaMikdash] is considered as though it had already been sprinkled, and likewise any [animal] that is ready to be redeemed is considered as if it has already been redeemed (Bava Kama 76b, though cited by Rav Hyman only at Pesachim 13).
What, you may ask, does any of this have anything to do with the current war being waged – and ceased? – in the Middle East?
Although the Gemara originally refers to the service in the Beit HaMikdash, it offers a profound lens through which to view our current geopolitical reality.
Many people fault the United States and Israel for “initiating” a war (or trying to end it?) when they did, not because they think their opponent should not eventually be fought but because they feel that the threat from Iran was not imminent. Many analysts argue against pre-emptive action, suggesting that a threat is only “imminent” once the first strike/launch is or will shortly be whizzing toward population centers, when the intended victims of the strike will be irreparably and catastrophically impacted, caught by surprise, and unprepared and unequipped to retaliate in a timely and effective manner.
Those who support the pre-emptive nature of the initial attacks by America and Israel in Iran can draw inspiration from the first maxim cited above (or the first half of the consolidated maxim), though maybe the connection is not exactly as direct as a ballistic missile.
In reference to the service in the Beit HaMikdash, the root z-r-k may be most often used in the Bible for “to sprinkle”; but in modern Hebrew, the root z-r-k may be associated more often with “to throw,” or “to hurl.” If an enemy “stands ready” to launch missiles at population centers, having both the means and the stated intent – it is not exactly a stretch to conclude that halachic logic suggests that the intended victims of the impending or inevitable attacks need not wait for the impacts to acknowledge the reality of the attacks. Under the principle of Kol ha’omed, it is not a stretch to establish that the threat is not merely potential, it is legally and morally present, justifying the necessity of self-defense, however costly it may be to both sides, and however much the Israelis would have preferred negotiating from scratch, as would the Americans headed by the author of the Art of the Deal.
For the record, the citation in Menachot cites Rabbi Elazar, son of Rav Shimon, standing up for his father, and ruling in accordance with him. The original source, as noted above, refers to the redemption of an animal. Redeeming people takes on a much broader and less gruesome meaning.
Ultimately, we look to the second maxim (or the second half of the consolidated maxim), “That which is ready for redemption is as if already redeemed.” While the Gemara discusses the redemption of sanctified animals, the term “pidyon” carries a much deeper resonance for us today. As we navigate these tense times, we join all of Klal Yisrael in praying that our people will be redeemed speedily. May we see the day when no people will feel they are confronted by the need to fight or to protect themselves with physical and lethal force, and when “standing” will no longer require the posture of defense – or self-defensive offense – but will rather reflect the upright joy of a world at peace, inspired and orchestrated by Moshiach tzidkeinu, bimhera b’yamenu.