EXOD503 (Continued from [[EXOD189]] 13:18 armed AMJV 120-1).  And yet, Judaism makes a clear distinction between “religion and state” when it comes to weapons.  Weapons are indeed necessary, but they remain an “evil” and must never be used in any realm considered “religious” or holy. Thus, already in the Torah, God forbids the building of the Holy Altar using any metal implement (it was built miraculously with a special Shamir worm that cut stone). Why? Rashi explains that the symbol of the Holy Altar is to extend human life, while metal, representing weapons, diminishes life. One cannot be used to build the other. Bechor Shor similarly states that since metal and weapons represent hurting man, the opposite of holiness, the Altar, the symbol of holiness, could not be built with metal.  It is clear, then, that while Judaism recognizes the need for weapons in the context of war, they are only a necessary tool for engaging in battle and not something to be proud of or admired. The ultimate goal for weapons, in the famous verse in Isaiah, is to make them totally unnecessary and hope for the time when the metal from weapons will be melted down to be used for farm tools. Isaiah 2:4