Q&A: Participation in Combat
Participation in Combat
Question
Hello Rabbi. I serve as a combat soldier in the IDF. For a number of reasons, some of which are not known to me, only part of the company will be entering combat; at the moment I’m not among those going in. In your opinion, is there any point in trying to put pressure on the commanders so that I can go in too (my friends are risking their lives and it’s hard to just stand by, and in addition I have a desire to take revenge on the enemy), or is there no reason to force myself into a dangerous situation if I haven’t been ordered to do so (of course this depends on how necessary the ground incursion is, and so on)? This is an emotional dilemma, but also a moral and ethical one that I find hard to decide. Thank you very much
Answer
In my opinion, there is no point at all. Only perhaps if you think you would do it better than others. The reserve force is no less important in war. In many cases they’ll need replacements, and that is part of the battle plan. Leave it to your commanders.
Keep yourselves safe, break the scumbags’ bones, and come back in peace.