Thanks Reb Arthur. I appreciate both versions, and I do not know how to choose between the 2. I do agree in principle with both, and am not sure whether Version B is too specific on details such as naming 10,000 as the number to require a committee.
I have been working on the 10 Mitzvot and will paste here my personal interpretation of #6. Very similar in intent to both of yours, but with some differences. I did not address issues of choice around dying (though I do agree with you on that), but I did address power dynamics and bullying, and the problem of financial profiting from war.
6. You shall not kill.
On an individual level, to prevent killing, I will try to resolve personal conflicts and promote harmony; I will practice kindness. On an institutional level, I oppose police and any other brutality. When there is a power differential, brutalizing or killing the less powerful one becomes easier. This is bullying. So I will do what I can to oppose all bullying. I also support greatly reduced availability of firearms to the general public. On another level, the makers of the machines of war profit from increased sales of their products, and so they actually favor more warfare in the world. This inclination has a greater affect on international politics than most people realize. Valuing profits above all else is the cause of many of the world’s worst problems. Having consciousness of these dynamics, I will do what I can to change them, at the least by sharing the information when I can.
Thanks Reb Arthur. I appreciate both versions, and I do not know how to choose between the 2. I do agree in principle with both, and am not sure whether Version B is too specific on details such as naming 10,000 as the number to require a committee.
I have been working on the 10 Mitzvot and will paste here my personal interpretation of #6. Very similar in intent to both of yours, but with some differences. I did not address issues of choice around dying (though I do agree with you on that), but I did address power dynamics and bullying, and the problem of financial profiting from war.
6. You shall not kill.
On an individual level, to prevent killing, I will try to resolve personal conflicts and promote harmony; I will practice kindness. On an institutional level, I oppose police and any other brutality. When there is a power differential, brutalizing or killing the less powerful one becomes easier. This is bullying. So I will do what I can to oppose all bullying. I also support greatly reduced availability of firearms to the general public. On another level, the makers of the machines of war profit from increased sales of their products, and so they actually favor more warfare in the world. This inclination has a greater affect on international politics than most people realize. Valuing profits above all else is the cause of many of the world’s worst problems. Having consciousness of these dynamics, I will do what I can to change them, at the least by sharing the information when I can.
Repelling hasn't worked. Overkill is reprehensible.
Version A for me, please. Some of us are constitutionally unsuited for committee work and need other ways to participate.
I love the first one!