The Danger of Treating All Force as Immoral

When the Jewish aversion to violence becomes a survival risk.

Tsahi Shemesh | August 4, 2026

Many American Jews are uncomfortable with violence. The problem begins when every use of force is placed in the same moral category.

An attacker uses force to control, punish, or injure. A person acting in self-defense uses force to stop the attack and reach safety. The physical movement may look similar, but the intent is very different. One comes from the desire to hurt. The other comes from accepting responsibility for self-preservation.

As a lifelong martial artist and self-defense instructor, I have taught people how to protect themselves for more than two decades. I meet people who want protection without preparing to cause pain. They want to get fit without ever getting sore. They support awareness and professional security, then pull away when training requires resistance or even minimal discomfort.

Jim Rohn said, “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”

That choice applies to self-defense. I would rather accept controlled discomfort in training than discover my first physical reaction while someone is trying to hurt me. Discomfort in training can be stopped, examined, and repeated. A real attack gives you none of that control.

A violent person does not judge our restraint by our moral standards. Instead of morality, he may see someone who keeps explaining, avoids making........

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