Q:
From a Torah point of view was Harry Truman correct in dropping the atom bomb on Japan?
A:
If you’re asking me – not the Torah viewpoint, just me – I say he was absolutely correct. Because when people shed innocent blood then there’s no reason why we shouldn’t take every step to stop them; and even though it means destroying a huge populace, we are justified. We didn’t ask them to come into the war. They attacked us.
Now, we understand that there are all kinds of wicked people in the world and they’ll find excuses to drop bombs for nothing. We understand that. And that’s why you cannot give this counsel indiscriminately; but strictly speaking it was absolutely right because criminals must be stopped in any way.
In Philadelphia when the police department dropped bombs on a house where criminals with rifles were defending themselves, a big fuss developed. There was an investigation. But the police department was correct. You couldn’t get them out of that house otherwise. They were right in bombing the house. But liberals don’t like that. The liberals like that criminals should be justified and be allowed to continue to molest decent people. But there’s no question that the police understand better than the liberals.
And therefore when the bomb was dropped, I have no question at all that they were justified.
TAPE # 729 (March 1989)
