There is an impression that people who are spiritual must practice non-violence The example of Mahatma Gandhi is often cited. But the British Empire was sensitive to public shame. Not so the evil ‘empire’ of Iran, or its proxies like Hezbollah, or Hamas, or the Houthis, and others. They would take full advantage of non-violence and hack their exponents to death. Indeed, this was clearly proven time and time again, especially by October 7th and Hamas’ various publicly screened executions.
Spiritual people need not be Airetarians or Breatharians, who believe you can live off air alone! In fact spiritual people cut the living stalk of wheat, kill it, and eat it as bread. Spiritual people drive in cars that expel carbon monoxide and carbon into the atmosphere. Spiritual people work for a living rather than relying on the earth to miraculously support them. In other words, spiritual people deal with the physical.
Spiritual people also place high value on the purpose of their lives – to the extent that they will defend themselves from those who want to take their life away or hurt their bodies. Spiritual people know that their life is unique, purposeful, and mission oriented. They are prepared to fight evil and defend good.
It is simplistic to the point of foolishness to march in the streets and chant anti-war slogans, while enjoying peace and prosperity. Yet every marcher would be prepared to shoot a gun to save themselves from a killer. How much more so when the murderer is just one of tens of thousands, all swooping down on Israel to murder and dismember the Jews. Even spiritual people will be prepared to muddy their hands when conditions at the coalface require it.
By all means quote me rhymes on non-violence. But I am not at all sure that Mahatma Gandhi would have instructed his many followers to sit in rows waiting for the missile to strike them dead. It’s not as if you are staring down the British soldiers directly in the eye, plying them with guilt. In the current war, the eyes of the perpetrators are 2300 miles away in Tehran! And I don’t see its proxies being guilt-ridden!
A spiritual person understands the deeper dimensions of life. But all the more reason to protect one’s life and be prepared to defend it at all costs. Just like the Mossad planted spies in Iran, so does Moses send spies into the land of Canaan to ensure that there will be no booby traps when the land promised to Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov, and paid for by Avraham, is handed back to its rightful Jewish owners.
To live spiritually one has to live physically.