Q&A: The Attitude Toward Deceased Hostages
The Attitude Toward Deceased Hostages
Question
Hello Rabbi,
What do you think our attitude should be toward the issue of deceased hostages?
I see various people saying that until the last deceased hostage is returned, the struggle is not over, and all sorts of similar statements.
Mutual responsibility, respect toward the people we sent, comfort for the families, and also reliance on Jewish law and stories from the Hebrew Bible (Joseph and Jacob) that show the importance of honoring the dead and burial in the Land of Israel.
In short, what is your position on the matter?
Answer
My position is that we should try to bring them back by means of various pressure levers. There is no justification for risking soldiers or other interests of the state for this. But of course one can use Hamas's violation of the agreement regarding the deceased as justification for continuing the war and striking them until they are eliminated, assuming that continuing is in our interest (and is not really being done for the sake of returning the deceased).
Discussion on Answer
Not for wedding banquets — those are sermonettes for a funeral.
Needless to say, Joseph and his brothers, and any other biblical passage or Talmudic aggadah, say nothing whatsoever about this issue (or any other issue). Those are just little sermonettes for wedding banquets.