Mandatory war

Mandatory war (Hebrew: מלחמת חובה‎; milḥemet ḥovah), or compulsory war, is a technical term found in Hebrew classical literature and denoting a war that requires the entire nation of the Jewish people to rise-up and to become actively engaged-in[1] because of an existential threat to the Jewish nation.[2] The aim is to thwart the enemy advances against the nation of Israel, without the necessity of enslaving and exterminating the enemy, or of annexing the enemy's territory. It is to be distinguished from a "voluntary war" (מלחמת רשות‎; milḥemet reshūt), that is to say, a battle waged of free choice, which requires the approbation of the Sanhedrin, presumably in order to impose a religious and moral check on reckless warfare.[3] It is also to be distinguished from a "religious war" (מלחמת מצוה‎; milḥemet mitzvah), which is restricted to those nations mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, such as Amalek and the nations of Canaan.[4][5][6] The biblical command, in the case of the Canaanite inhabitants, was to exterminate them and to annex their territory,[7] whereas others who made peace with Israel could be enslaved and forced to pay tribute.[8]

  1. ^ Hanschke 1980, p. 191, citing the Jerusalem Talmud (Soṭah, end of chapter 8).
  2. ^ Eisenstein 1970, p. 228
  3. ^ Mishnah, Sanhedrin 1:5
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Meiri2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ HaLevi 1958, p. 318 (section no. 527), P. Shofṭim
  6. ^ Kuzmarov 2012, p. 54
  7. ^ Maimonides 1974, pp. 183–184 [92a–92b] (Hil. Melekhim 5:4)
  8. ^ HaLevi 1958, pp. 318–319 (section no. 527), P. Shofṭim

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