Question

In last week's Torah portion we read about an optional war: ["When you approach a city to wage war against it, etc.," and Rashi explains: "the verse is speaking about an optional war."] How can this be explained from a moral perspective—to conquer someone else's city in order to expand my borders, without that city having committed any sin? To be sure, I am aware of your view regarding the morality of the Torah: that the Torah deals with the principal halakhic aspect, while the moral aspect is a separate matter, included in the general warning, "and you shall do what is right and good" {as you tried to explain in the passage of the beautiful captive woman}. But it seems to me that in this case it is still difficult, because if there is something that clearly contradicts basic human morality, independent of time and place, as this case seems on its face to do, how can it be understood that the Torah would permit such a thing?