Rabbi Avraham Wasserman, a Rabbi in the Yeshiva in Ramat Gan and Rabbi of the Giv'atayim community of Gvurot Mordechai, suggests learning from the mode of warfare of Avimelech in Shechem and applying it in Gaza as well.
As part of a new video released by the Hotam organization to boost the morale of IDF soldiers, Rabbi Wasserman explains that there is a need to act in a way that minimizes harm to soldiers as much as possible. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the tunnels. These points are emphasized in the context of political and security discussions regarding the timing of the ground entry of IDF soldiers into the Gaza Strip.
According to Rabbi Wasserman, "The Hebrew Bible is full of stories of battles. They were not written just so that we know what happened, and not just for the sake of interesting stories. They were written, as the sages defined, as things needed for generations. One of the stories is about Avimelech, the son of Gideon, who, in his war against the people of Shechem who rebelled against him and fortified themselves in a tall tower. Instead of shedding the blood of his soldiers in capturing the tower, he took a group of thorns and asked his soldiers to do the same. He put the thorns next to the tower, set them on fire, and in this way, none of his soldiers were harmed in this war."
"We are currently facing tunnels that are much more challenging than a single fortress in Shechem. Before sending soldiers to fight there, all the tunnels and the area where they are located should be set on fire so that the soldiers are as unharmed as possible. If it's possible that not a single one is harmed, all the better, and they can return home safely. As Avimelech said to his men, what you see me doing, you should do the same. Good luck to the Israel Defense Forces and everyone," Rabbi Wasserman adds.
