GEN831 A core commitment to the preservation of humanity—our own and that of our enemies—means that we do not shy away from protecting ourselves, our civilians, and our values, but that when we fight, we do so not with bombast and arrogance, but with fear and trembling.  We never delight in the opportunity to fight, and we work to ensure that our soldiers’ conduct in war lives up to the highest possible standards of moral decency.  The fact that a nation may have a legitimate need to fight does not justify recklessness. … In [this verse], Abraham emerges victorious after fighting the invading armies of four mighty kinds.  In his first moment of rest after the battles, he is addressed by God: “Al tirah Avram—Fear not, Abram” But why would Abraham be afraid?  He has just vanquished his enemies and is, for the first time in years, able to dwell in peace.  The Rabbis teach that his fear derived from a persistent post-war apprehension, as he thought, “Perhaps there was one righteous or God-fearing person among the people I killed.” Bereshit [Genesis] Rabbah 15:1.  What would that kind of moral sensitivity look like in our time? The hour calls for a heartfelt reaffirmation of our shared humanity—something that seems to have been lost in contemporary warfare.  Perhaps that will help us step out of the morass of these violent times and begin to build pathways toward peace.  DORWAR 104