Admirable ends do not justify unjust means, and even when waging legitimate “battles,” working to achieve important and valuable goals, we are to ensure not to cause people harm in the process.
After Avraham’s stunning military victory over the four eastern powers, which he waged for the purpose of rescuing his captured nephew, Lot, God appeared to him to offer reassurance: “Do not be afraid, Avram, I will be your shield; your reward is very great” (15:1). The Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 44:4) cites different views as to what concerned Avraham that necessitated God’s reassurance. According to one view, that of Rabbi Levi, the possibility that he may have killed innocent people during battle weighed heavily on Avraham’s conscience.
Rabbi Levi then offers an analogy to explain God’s comforting response to Avraham. He tells of a man who happens to notice a pile of thorns on the royal garden, and volunteers to remove them. He then notices that the king is watching him, and he fears for his life, as he had not been invited to perform this task. The king reassures the man, noting that he would have otherwise had to hire somebody to remove the thorns, and the man is thus deserving of reward.
According to Rabbi Levi, then, God responded to Avraham’s concerns by affirming that he removed only “thorns” – meaning, he did not kill anyone unnecessarily in battle. Avraham waged a just war, fighting to rescue the captured citizens of Sedom, and none of the casualties suffered by the enemy were innocents. The implication of Rabbi Levi’s comments (as noted by the Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein shelit”a) is that if not all the casualties were “thorns,” Avraham would, indeed, have had legitimate reason to be concerned. God allayed Avraham’s fears by assuring him that he had not killed unnecessarily; otherwise, if insufficient care had been taken to avoid unnecessary deaths, then Avraham’s fears would have been warranted.
Even when we are involved in noble and important endeavors, we must exercise care and caution to avoid “casualties” along the way. Admirable ends do not justify unjust means, and even when waging legitimate “battles,” working to achieve important and valuable goals, we are to ensure not to cause people harm in the process.