Two of the clearest demonstrations of biblical war strategy in modern history were carried out by men who probably never saw a page of Talmud.

President Harry Truman and Admiral Chester Nimitz were not rabbis. They were practical Americans leading a nation through World War II.

Yet their decisions clearly illustrated two ancient lessons embedded in Jewish law.

They are not fashionable lessons. But they have real life applications.

And they help explain how wars actually end.

Lesson One: When the Threat Is Clear, Strike First

The Torah offers a blunt rule of survival: If someone comes to kill you, rise to kill them first. (Sanhedrin: 72a)

It is not a doctrine of aggression. It is a doctrine of self-defense.

Consider the Battle of Midway.

Six months after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan was preparing another decisive strike meant to finish the American fleet in the Pacific.

But American intelligence broke the Japanese codes and learned of the plan. 

So Admiral Nimitz had a choice. Wait for the Japanese fleet to attack, or intercept them........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)