Torah and the Right to Bear Arms
By
James Scott Trimm
Yeshua the Messiah said: “And he who does not have a sword: let him sell his garment and buy for himself a sword.” (Luke 22:36)
How are we to understand this? Elsewhere we read that Yeshua instructs his Talmidim as follows:
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor lesser coin in
your belts. Pack not for the journey, either two coats, or sandals, or a staff, for the laborer is worthy of his food. And into whatever city or town you will enter, enquire who in it is honorable, and there abide until you go out from there.”
(Mt. 10:9-11)
Some light on this text may be acquired by examining a statement by Josephus concerning the first century Essene sect of Judaism:
…and if any of their sect come from other places,
what they have lies open for them, just as if it were their own;
and they go into such as they never knew before,
as if they had been ever so long acquainted with them.
For which reason they carry nothing with them
when they travel into remote parts,
though still they take their weapons with them, for fear of thieves. Accordingly there is, in every city where they live,
one appointed particularly to take care of strangers,
and provide garments and other necessaries for them.
(Josephus; Wars 2:8:4)
By this we are to understand that the Creator has given the people the unalienable right to keep and bear arms.
The first decree of King David upon becoming King of Israel was “teach the sons of Y’hudah the bow. Behold, it is written in the Sefer HaYashar.” (2Sam. 1:18).
And what if one should say “the bow” was the name of a song, and archery was not referred to here? We read in Sefer HaYashar (The Book of Jasher):
8 And Jacob said unto Judah, I know my son that you are a mighty man for your brothers; reign over them, and your sons shall reign over their sons forever.
9 Only teach your sons the bow and all the weapons of war, in order that they may fight the battles of their brother who will rule over his enemies.
(Jasher 56:8-9)
And Rashi says of this verse (2Sam 1:18):
18. And he said to teach the sons of Judah the bow. Behold it is written in thebook of the just [Sefer HaYashar].
And he said to teach the sons of Judah the bow: And David said, Since the heroes of Israel have fallen, the sons of Judah must teach them (to wage) war and to draw the bow.:
Behold, it is written in the book of the just: In the Book of Genesis, which is the book of the just: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now, where is it implied?” Your hand be on the nape of your enemies.” (Gen. 49:8) What type of warfare is it wherein one directs his hand against his forehead which is opposite his nape? We must say that this is the bow.
(Rashi on 2Sam 1.18)
And how are we to understand “sword”? By “sword” we are to understand a specific example of the general phrase “the bow and all the weapons of war” (Jasher 56:9)
For what purpose should a believer keep and bear arms?
We read in the Torah:
“If a thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dies, there shall be no
bloodguiltiness for him.” (Ex. 22:1(2))
It is from this verse that we have the Baraita which says:
“When a man comes to kill you, rise early and kill him first.”
(b.Berachot 58a, 62b; Numbers Rabbah XXI:4; Zohar 1:138a)
Rashi writes of this verse:
“He has no blood. [This signifies that] this is not [considered] murder. It is as though he [the thief] is [considered] dead from the start. Here the Torah teaches you: If someone comes to kill you, kill him first. And this one [the thief] has come to kill you, because he knows that a person will not hold himself back and remain silent when he sees people taking his money. Therefore, he [the thief] has come with the acknowledgement that if the owner of the property were to stand up against him, he [thief] would kill him [the owner]. – [From Talmud Sanhedrin. 72a]”.
Thus we have the right to keep and bear arms to defend ourselves as well as our property.
We also have the right to keep and bear arms so that we may defend others. As we read in the Torah:
“You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor: I am YHWH.”
(Leviticus 19:16)”
Rashi says of this verse:
“You shall not stand by [the shedding of] your fellow’s blood. [I.e., do not stand by,] watching your fellow’s death, when you are able to save him; for example, if he is drowning in the river or if a wild beast or robbers come upon him. — [Torath Kohanim 19:41; Talmud, Sanhedrin 73a]”
Finally we have the right to keep and bear arms in order to protect our rights from oppressive governments. As we read in the Books of the Maccabees that when the Seleucid Empire became oppressive and violated the rights of the Jewish people to worship YHWH, they took up arms against this oppression (1Macc. 2; 2Macc. 8:1-4). Resistance to tyrants is obedience to Yahweh.
Therefore the International Nazarene Beit Din says:
“It is incumbent upon a believer to keep and bear arms, this is not limited to a sword, or a bow, but includes “all the weapons of war” including all types of firearms. A believer should not only “buy” arms (Luke 22:36) but teach their sons the bow and all the weapons of war, in order that they may fight the battles of their brothers.
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Interesting sources and in the secular realm among secular people and for secular people I agree. But the kingdom has a different view:
[2Co 10:4 KJV] 4 For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; and:
[Eph 6:12 KJV] 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
This is because [Eph 2:6 KJV] 6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: And this is where:
[Eph 1:19-23 KJV] 19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Personally I think you are encouraging patriot minded people to take up arms against this tyrannical government, and yes, they deserve judgement, but Yah has committed all judgement to the Messiah.
But you probably know, the first Horse is passed and the second one is approaching and no one is talking about it. The Red Horse is coming with jihad and its rider will cause disunity in the earth and they will slaughter one another.
But you left out the most important perspective of all:
[Mat 26:52 KJV] 52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
And you know this one: [Zec 4:6 KJV] 6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Brother Trimm, you are skillful in the Word of Righteousness, but I adjure you before Yah and His Messiah, to not use your skill to manipulate the weak minded, for if you do, their deaths may be on you.
Irmão, na verdade ele só foi pragmático.