{"id":465,"date":"2012-12-19T19:26:55","date_gmt":"2012-12-20T00:26:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/truthsyoucanuse\/?p=465"},"modified":"2012-12-19T19:31:33","modified_gmt":"2012-12-20T00:31:33","slug":"how-to-end-gun-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html","title":{"rendered":"How To End Gun Violence: A Lesson from Jewish History"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Religion<\/a><\/p>\n

The horrific school shooting in Connecticut has reignited a debate on gun control. Judaism does not have a particular policy prescription or political view. What we do have is an insightful story of cultural transformation.<\/p>\n

Sword Fights on the Sabbath<\/strong><\/p>\n

It emerged in a debate 2000 years ago over a seemingly minute question. The question was whether or not individuals can wear a sword on the sabbath.<\/p>\n

Those who permitted it argued that wearing a sword is like wearing a clothing accessory today. It is an ornament, a symbol of honor and dignity.<\/p>\n

Other rabbis challenged this view. A sword is not merely an ornament, they argued. It is a symbol of warfare. Such symbol of war undermines the spirit of holiness and peace of Shabbat.<\/p>\n

The pro-sword group won this round of the debate.<\/p>\n

A New Debate<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another group of rabbis, however, revisited it 300 years later. They returned to the question of whether a sword could really be considered a symbol of honor and dignity. \u201cWhere\u2019s the proof?\u201d \u00a0they asked.<\/p>\n

In response, one rabbi cited a verse from the Book of Psalms: \u201cGird your sword upon your side, O mighty one, in your splendor and glory.\u201d<\/em> (Psalms 45:4) This verse proves that the Bible considers idea the sword an ornamental symbol of \u201csplendor and glory.\u201d<\/p>\n

His opponents\u2019 response shows us a stunning transformation in Jewish culture. The \u201csword of splendor and glory,\u201d they argued, does not refer to an actual physical sword. Rather, it refers to the word of God. A sword symbolizes the power and strengthen of God\u2019s teachings.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Book and the Sword<\/strong><\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t this a bit of a stretch? How can one say that a sword really means God\u2019s word? The reason lies in a profound story of history.<\/p>\n

During the 300 years between the two debates, the Jewish people underwent a transformation. A society where violence and warfare was common became one sustained by the community and study. New challenges had demanded a new response.<\/em><\/p>\n

No longer was carrying a sword necessary, wise or symbolic of \u201cglory and splendor.\u201d Rather, protecting a culture and way of life depended on studying and internalizing God\u2019s word. That was the source of true strength.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A Changing America<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps America is undergoing a similar transformation. The time when the Second Amendment was written was one marked by constant violence and warfare. It served to protect our emerging nation from its many external enemies.<\/p>\n

Maintaining our society today rests on much more than firearms. It rests on the ability to teach and sustain respect, compassion and the freedom to learn and live without fear.<\/p>\n

We need to learn that physical resources are not our only source of strength. We also need spiritual sensitivity, educational access and moral depth. We need the strength to grow and address the needs and challenges of today.<\/p>\n

By\u00a0Evan Moffic<\/a>,<\/p>\n

GET A FREE EBOOK: HOW TO FORGIVE EVEN WHEN IT HURTS.\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/U6pA1G<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The horrific school shooting in Connecticut has reignited a debate on gun control. Judaism does not have a particular policy prescription or political view. What we do have is an insightful story of cultural transformation. Sword Fights on the Sabbath It emerged in a debate 2000 years ago over a seemingly minute question. The question…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHow To End Gun Violence: A Lesson from Jewish History - Truths You Can Use<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To End Gun Violence: A Lesson from Jewish History - Truths You Can Use\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The horrific school shooting in Connecticut has reignited a debate on gun control. Judaism does not have a particular policy prescription or political view. What we do have is an insightful story of cultural transformation. Sword Fights on the Sabbath It emerged in a debate 2000 years ago over a seemingly minute question. The question…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Truths You Can Use\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RabbiEvan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-12-20T00:26:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-12-20T00:31:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/truthsyoucanuse\/files\/2012\/12\/peace_on_earth-300x225.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Evan Moffic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@chicagorabbi\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How To End Gun Violence: A Lesson from Jewish History - Truths You Can Use","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How To End Gun Violence: A Lesson from Jewish History - Truths You Can Use","og_description":"The horrific school shooting in Connecticut has reignited a debate on gun control. Judaism does not have a particular policy prescription or political view. What we do have is an insightful story of cultural transformation. Sword Fights on the Sabbath It emerged in a debate 2000 years ago over a seemingly minute question. The question…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html","og_site_name":"Truths You Can Use","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RabbiEvan\/","article_published_time":"2012-12-20T00:26:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2012-12-20T00:31:33+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/truthsyoucanuse\/files\/2012\/12\/peace_on_earth-300x225.jpg"}],"author":"Evan Moffic","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@chicagorabbi","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html","name":"How To End Gun Violence: A Lesson from Jewish History - Truths You Can Use","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/truthsyoucanuse\/files\/2012\/12\/peace_on_earth-300x225.jpg","datePublished":"2012-12-20T00:26:55+00:00","dateModified":"2012-12-20T00:31:33+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/#\/schema\/person\/55ddc5e03d79abbfcc6d4f944687d65d"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/truthsyoucanuse\/files\/2012\/12\/peace_on_earth-300x225.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/truthsyoucanuse\/files\/2012\/12\/peace_on_earth-300x225.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/how-to-end-gun-violence.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How To End Gun Violence: A Lesson from Jewish History"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/","name":"Truths You Can Use","description":"Jewish Wisdom, Jewish Blogs, Daily Jewish Inspiration and Jewish News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/#\/schema\/person\/55ddc5e03d79abbfcc6d4f944687d65d","name":"Evan Moffic","description":"Rabbi Evan Moffic writes for people of all faiths. His book, What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Jewishness of Jesus was a 2015 best-seller. His upcoming book of devotions\u2014Shalom for the Heart\u2014takes short biblical passages and show they way they can help us make better choices and live with fewer regrets. With Rabbi Moffic, you will find an open, accessible guide to life\u2019s deepest truths. A husband and father, he graduated from Stanford University in 2000, and was ordained a rabbi in 2006. He leads a congregation in suburban Chicago. You can connect with him directly at emoffic@gmail.com.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.rabbimoffic.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RabbiEvan\/","https:\/\/x.com\/chicagorabbi"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/author\/emoffic"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=465"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":473,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465\/revisions\/473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}