Une lecture éthique et théologique de la vocation biblique
I. Good and Evil in Biblical Thought: A Dynamic of Choice
In a context of war and a global questioning of moral benchmarks, the question of Israel's ethical role in the community of nations arises with renewed acuity. This text that I present to you explores the biblical foundations of Jewish morality, the nature of Good and Evil according to the Torah, and the specific mission assigned to Israel within the framework of a universal ethic. It also questions the contemporary conditions for a possible restoration of Israel as a global moral reference, not through superiority, but through exemplarity.
Unlike many dualist traditions, Judaism does not conceive of evil as an autonomous force. Evil is neither a black god nor a cosmic fatality, but a deviation permitted by human freedom, integrated into the divine plan.
The fundamental verse in this regard is found in Deuteronomy:
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil […] You shall choose life.” (Deut. 30:15-19)
Good is thus defined not by an ideological absolute, but by its capacity to produce life, in all its biological, relational, social, and spiritual dimensions. Conversely, Evil is that which engenders rupture, destruction, and negation of the divine image in man.
This ethical foundation is inseparable from the notion of responsibility, dear to the prophetic and rabbinic tradition. As the Talmud teaches:
“Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except the fear of Heaven.” (Berakhot 33b)
II. The moral vocation of Israel: election and requirement
Israel's election is not based on any criteria of natural superiority. It is an ethical call, a mission to be accomplished in history:
“You will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:6)
Far from establishing a theology of domination, this designation invites Israel to become a witness-people, whose very existence embodies the possibility of a society founded on the Covenant, that is to say on a moral contract between the human and the divine, between law and mercy, between freedom and the Law.
The figure of Israel as “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6) does not imply a position of superiority, but a function: to show, by example, that a collective ethical life is possible even in an imperfect world.
It is worth remembering here that the Torah does not conceal Israel's failures: biblical history is punctuated by faults, internal conflicts, and spiritual declines. But it is precisely these tensions that give meaning to Israel's moral imperative: it must always be rebuilt, in every generation.
III. Israel Today: Towards a Renewed Moral Responsibility
The contemporary geopolitical situation, marked by protracted conflicts, ethical dilemmas linked to war, and internal social tensions, places Israel before a major question: how to remain faithful to its moral vocation in circumstances where the security emergency seems to take precedence over all other considerations?
The Jewish tradition can offer structuring reference points to this question, through three founding principles:
1. The Sanctity of Life (Kedushat haHayim)
The preservation of human life constitutes a central ethical axis of Judaism:
“Whoever saves a single human life is considered as if he had saved all humanity.” (Sanhedrin 4:5)
This principle is not limited to Israeli citizens: it implies an ethic of war that distinguishes legitimate combat from gratuitous violence, defense from massacre, and imposes constant vigilance to avoid the desubjectification of the enemy.
2. Justice as an inner imperative (Tsedek tsedek tirdof)
“Justice, justice you will pursue…” (Deuteronomy 16:20)
This repeated verse calls for ongoing institutional introspection. A moral democracy is one capable of questioning itself, of judging its own actions, and of ensuring ethical checks and balances, even in times of war.
3. Listening to the cry of the Other (Shmi’at haTza’akah)
Biblical ethics begins with listening
“I have heard the cry of My people…” (Exodus 3:7)
Likewise, Israel cannot ignore the cries that arise around it, whether justified or exploited, whether from friends or enemies. The ability to hear even what is disturbing is the foundation of a living moral conscience.
Conclusion: An ethical mission for the 21st century
Israel's promise does not lie in material or military superiority. It rests on its ability to inhabit history with conscience, to combine security and justice, sovereignty and responsibility.
In a world losing its bearings, Israel can once again become a moral compass, not by dictating laws to others, but by embodying, in its own political and social existence, the values of an ethic based on life, justice and compassion.
This task is arduous. It exposes us to failure, criticism, and misunderstanding. But it is precisely in this difficulty that its nobility lies. Israel is not called to be a fixed model, but a living laboratory of applied morality.
And perhaps this is the greatest message that the Torah offers to humanity: that Good is never given, but always to be built.
Valerie Grumelin