Volume 109 Issue 1 Dickinson Law Review - Volume 109, 2004-2005 6-1-2004 The Torah and Self-Defense David B. Kopel Follow this and additional works at: https://ideas.dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/dlra Recommended Citation David B. Kopel, The Torah and Self-Defense, 109 DICK. L. REV. 17 (2004). Available at: https://ideas.dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/dlra/vol109/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Reviews at Dickinson Law IDEAS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dickinson Law Review by an authorized editor of Dickinson Law IDEAS. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. The Torah and Self-Defense David B. Kopel* I. Introduction The first five books of the Bible are sometimes called the Pentateuch. Jews call them the Torah, which means "teaching" or "instruction." 1 The Torah is by far the most important of Jewish scriptures. The Jewish Bible contains the same books as what Christians call the "Old Testament." Accordingly, the Torah is the foundation of Christian scriptures. This article surveys the Torah's teachings on the right and the duty to defend oneself and others. Part II examines the Book of Genesis, in particular, the "Jewish natural law" which was given to Noah, and the story of Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people. Part III studies Moses and the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt. Part IV looks at Torah laws regarding home defense against burglars, and the duty of bystanders to rescue third parties who are being attacked by a "pursuer." The examination of the Torah laws includes analysis of the extensive Jewish scholarly commentary on the Torah.