Gun Violence and Judaism CCAR/RAC Call on Democracy -- Elul 5782

One may not sell to certain people weapons nor the auxiliary equipment of weapons, and one may not sharpen weapons for them. And one may not sell them stocks used for fastening the feet of prisoners, or iron neck chains, or foot chains, or iron chains.

(8) When you build a new house, you shall make a railing for your roof, so that you do not bring blood on your house if anyone should fall from it.

Rabbi Natan says: From where is it derived that one may not raise a vicious dog in their house, and that one may not set up an unstable ladder in their home? As it is stated: “You shall not bring blood on your house” (Deuteronomy 22:8), which means that one may not allow a hazardous situation to remain in his house.

(4) There is no difference between a roof or anything else that is dangerous and likely to cause death to a person who might stumble. If, for instance, one has a well or a pit in his courtyard — — he must build an enclosing ring ten handbreadths high, or put a cover over it, so that a person should not fall into it and die. So too, any obstruction that is a danger to life must be removed as a matter of positive duty and extremely necessary caution.

And so too any obstacle that endangers life, it is a positive commandment to remove it and to be very careful around it as it is said, “Protect yourself and guard yourself." (Deuteronomy 4:9) And if he did not remove and set aside these obstacles that are dangerous, he violated the positive commandment and also violated the commandment, “Do not bring bloodguilt upon yourself” (Deuteronomy 22:8).

MISHNA: No one may neither go out on Shabbat with a sword, nor with a bow, nor with a shield, nor with a club, nor with a spear. And if someone unwittingly went out with one of these weapons to the public domain, they are liable to acknowledge their sin. Rabbi Eliezer says: These weapons are ornaments for him [that is, they are just fashionable clothing accessories]; just as someone is permitted to go out into the public domain with other ornaments, they are permitted to go out with weapons. But the Rabbis say: They are nothing other than reprehensible and in the future, they will be eliminated, as it is written: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not raise sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).