Violence and Peace from a Jewish Perspective

I was asked to express some thoughts on violence and non-violence from a Jewish perspective. Yet, the inomium violence and peace seems to me more!tting, since "non-violence# is not a real alternative to "violence.# I will focusupon peace and proximit$ as the opposite of violence. It is m$ intentionthrough a "dialogical hermeneutics# to o%er a view from the Jewishparticularit$ that is at the same time universal, meaning& open to anddestined for ever$one who is read$ to listen to a highl$ particular messagewith universal conse'uences.In the !rst stage, I explain how the redactors of the (ile and commentatorsduring the entire Jewish tradition took into account the prolematic nature ofhuman eings, even if the$ were heroes in Israel. )he$ did not hide theviolent side of human existence, ut wrote aout it in order for us learn fromit. In the second stage, I discuss various aspects of peace from a Jewish pointof view, not as it entails a temporar$ asence of violence, a rupture in thechain of constant violence, ut peace as ethical proximit$ to the other humaneing