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Op-Ed Response: Arming Shluchim a Bad Idea

by Anonymous

A few days ago, an article by the Algemeiner’s Dovid Efune was published on crownheights.info, advocating for Shluchim to arm themselves with firearms. The article intimated that perhaps the tragedy that took place in Mumbai in 2008, where Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg HYD were murdered, may have been averted. The author points to recent threats discovered against Chabad Houses in Thailand and Azerbaijan, and to the fact that the previous Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, carried a revolver.

When it comes to firearms, due to their lethality, it is of utmost importance to take everything into great consideration. Having a firearm has advantages and disadvantages. To justify having one, the former must heavily outweigh the latter. I’ll begin with disadvantages.

Firstly, safety. Sadly, many children each year kill themselves as a result of accidental discharge, because they gained access to their parents’ firearm. Utmost diligence is required to ensure such accidents will not happen. One must install a gun safe, and keep the firearm on their person or in the safe at all times.

Secondly, proficiency. A firearm is useless unless you know how to use it. “Knowing how to use it” does not mean knowing how to pull the trigger. It means knowing how to acquire, shoot and hit a target quite quickly. It means knowing what to do when the gun jams and how to disassemble it for cleaning purposes. Last but not least, it means constant practice. Just like a jogger who doesn’t jog for a few weeks becomes less fit, so too with shooting proficiency. This is why law enforcement agencies train regularly.

Thirdly, “sense of security.” Feeling secure when your are not is probably the worst of the above. A firearm tends to give its owner a sense of security. As I will explain, in the face of the threats the author addressed in his article, the firearm does not produce real security. Thus, in this situation, the Shliach would have a false sense of security.

The advantage, is quite simply the ability to defend yourself, and, if it is public knowledge that you carry a gun, deterrence. However, these advantages do not apply in the face of a Mumbai-style threat.

The Mumbai terrorist were definitely not deterred by the Indian Police Force armed with pistols and rifles, or the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad. The terrorists were also high on cocaine and LSD, preventing them from feeling pain and allowing them to continue fighting even after they were shot. More than ten police officers and anti-terror squad members were killed by the terrorists. Obviously, they were dealing with trained terrorists who were armed with assault rifles. So against a terrorist threat, heavan forbid, a trained police officer – let alone a “semi-trained” person – doesn’t have much of a chance (especially if the terrorist wears a bullet-proof vest, which means the only take-down would be a head-shot which requires a high degree of proficiency). In Azerbaijan, it was reported that one of the terrorists was planning on using a sniper-rifle. That renders a personal sidearm completely obsolete.

So what is the solution? (Just to be clear: this is with regard to Mumbai-style terrorists. Against “smaller” threats or muggings, a personal a sidearm is perhaps the solution).

The solution is preventative action in the form of intelligence, for instance: hiring the services of “STRATFOR”. Stratfor is a private intelligence organization contracted by corporations and the like who have assets in non-safe regions of the world, where kidnappings are extremely frequent etc. The idea is that they keep an ear out for any would-be terrorist activity. Every (sophisticated) terrorist attack takes immense planning, which leads to intelligence communities picking up on it. All information would be classified by threat level, and if it reached a severe enough level, they would alert the Shliach and local law-enforcement, or if need be – a trained professional could be hired until the threat passes. Of course, such a thing is not cheap. However, not every region would need this. It would be for places where there is increased danger. Regardless, there is no price on life, and Merkos would need to prioritize their funds.

With regard to the fact that the previous Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, carried a revolver: it cannot be a public Hoiro’oh (directive). There is a story with the Rebbe Rashab, Rabbi Yosef’s father: a businessman who happened to be carrying a revolver once met the Rebbe Rashab in his cabin on a train. The Rebbe Rashab told him to get rid of it, as it is “Klei Eisov.” This is not a contradiction to the fact that Rabbi Yosef carried a revolver, because neither story is a public directive; it all depends on the context.

In conclusion, we need to use our heads and not our trigger-happy fingers. If carrying a firearm will save lives, then carry one. However, as I have illustrated, Shluchim carrying guns will just create a hazard for their family, by causing them to slip into a false sense of security, as the weapon will be of no use to them in case of an attack.

I would like to end with a prayer, that Hashem should watch over his people and protect them from all enemies, rendering this topic useless.

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34 Comments

  • CH NRA 4 life

    The Mumbai terrorist were untrained poor kids that were brainwashed, not trained Mercenary, and police there did not have ANY training to deal with an attack, and were using WWII era bolt action rifles. The face is a side-arm or shotgun(NYC) in the right hands save lives and eliminate would be victims. We arm ourselves it is our right and we in america can protect our families.

    We will never make light of the tragedy and must learn from it so it can never happen again, to any yid anywhere.

  • factual correction

    no comment on the discussion, but the story with the rebbe rasha“b is taken totally out of context. the story is told by the frierdike rebbe (sefer hasichos), and its clear from the story there that the ”businessman happened to be carrying a revolver“ with the intent of chass vesholem attacking etc. the rebbe rasha”b, veda”l.

  • Very well written

    Thanks you for this article, very well explained and articulated, the knowledge you express in here makes the reader beleive that you work/ed in intelligence yourself, is this the case?

  • Alex

    Load of defeatist BS. You keep gun in a safe while its not on your person. Thousands of civilians/police/and army carry and have guns at home,you don’t hear everybody about kids getting shot with one. Use common sense,and everybody will be fine. In Mumbai there was NO armed police,its Indian thing. Only much later did special forces arrived,who were extremely incompetent as anybody can judge watching the videos (spraying the building with AK47 without aim).

    Drugs or LSD would not help a terrorist being hit with .45 center mass, if you injure him he wont feel paint,however he gets killed just like anybody else.

    Maybe or maybe the gun would have helped in Mumbai,but it would not heart! Not every attacker is a well trained commando team, some maybe some drunken anti-Semite with an AX.

  • Nobody

    A well thought out article, but I would pick on a couple of points. First, it is statistically more dangerous for children to have a swimming pool in your home than a gun. The safety issue is strictly about proper care and training, it is not something inherently risky.

    More importantly, terrorists target soft targets. They were willing to take on the Indian Police Force after they succeeded against soft targets (the Hotel and the Chabad House). Israel successfully prevents terrorist attacks against schools by arming teachers.

    But regarding the core solution, we should consider something else: Not sending people, certainly to make a permanent Chabad House which is an advertized target, to places where you would need a “STRATFOR” type solution.

  • mo

    While some of your points are valid, many are not. Guns are a must for everyone. Obviously people must be properly trained and know how to use them, however, in todays day and age, especially for people who dont live in fully civilized countries, any minute way for them to protect themselves is a must.

  • Rather be a sheepdog than a sheep

    When seconds count, the police (or whatever security you’ve hired) are only minutes away.

  • Nice but disagree with first point

    How many kids are killed every year from firearms? The reality does not correspond to the perception created by media coverage. Fatal gun accidents declined by almost sixty percent from 1975 to 1995, even though the number of guns per capita increased by almost forty percent.

    Fatal gun accidents involving children (aged 0-14) also fell significantly, from 495 in 1975, to under 250 in 1995. More children die from accidental drownings or burns than from gun accidents.

    (Gun supply statistics are from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, gun accident rates from the National Safety Council).

  • Fortified room, gun, food/water/radio

    All above mentioned concerns are valid, but they can be early addressed with proper training. Intel is very valuable and must be included in a safety plan. However, Intel rarely identifies the problem with 100% certainty – you need a gun to compensate the uncertainty.
    What C“H need is a fortified room with a gun and 48hr food/water/radio stock plus good communication with local authorities. Shluchim need to have a plan in case of terrorist attack and drill their families monthly.
    I doubt about ”well trained“ terrorist – I would say ”Well medicated” terrorist. It is important to understand the difference. Medicated terrorist has bad eyesight and poor judgment.
    Also, in certain cases, like one where a Jewish family was slaughtered while sleeping use retired K9 dogs as a guard and deterrent.

  • a shliach who is armed (Police Chaplain)

    How about let each guy decide how to run his life, why do we feel a need to decide how others should be. I DECIDE WHAT IS OR ISN’T RIGHT/GOOD FOR ME. And if you really care, then send a check.

  • Leib

    it was not the Rashab it was the Maharash and that young man had come to assasinate the….R”L the Maharash told him to throw it out which he did, so the story does serve your point well.

  • Yodea Sefer

    The story was with the Rebbe Maharash, not the Rebbe Rashab, as recorded in the Rebbe’s reshimos.

  • Daniel

    This article is as intelligent as someone can be in arguing against gun ownership. So because of that I will bother to reply:

    #1 Previous Rebbe’s revolver: It’s a public story that we know of, and the Rebbe says on sichos, the fact that we know of this story, means it is a lesson to be learned.

    #2 Safety: Oh yeah! Be super careful. Children etc, it’s not about statistics. I carry, and for a second around children (or adults) I don’t let my guard down. I have a safe etc. We have weapons to protect our children… not the other way around… Yes, maybe red necks should be warned, but everyone with a brain inside their skull is careful. Very silly argument

    #3 Sniper. Yep, you can’t stop a sniper with a revolver. You won that one. High five.

    #4 “sense of security“ Ha ha ha.. of course, having a gun MAKES you more secure and rightly so, your feeling reflect that. Our security comes from G-d just like parnasah does. Same thing, we gotta do our thing.

    No one trusts their guns, more than he trusts his job or business. What a weak argument.
    #5 A revolver wouldn’t work against drugged up terrorists with bullet proof vests.

    When R. Gabriel HY”D heard shots downstairs he went into a room and called the israeli consul “hamatzav lo tov, hamatzav lo tov”. WHO KNOWS! He could have reached for his gun waited by the door shooting.

    When you shoot someone on a bullet proof best, it’s not a movie. They go down, it hurts them. Then you can go for the head or other exposed areas.

    Might work, might not work, but sure as heck has a better chance than making a phone call.

    The point: If you exercise common sense safety measures with your weapon, the dangers are tiny. And except for snipers nothing stops attacks like a bullet to the head.

  • To #17

    I don’t think the author is saying a gun would not have helped at all, rather that is not a good solution for future security concerns

  • DaasTorah

    This article is written as if it was from an anti-gun nut. It has no basis in reality and preys on fears. It’s obscene and has no place on CH.

  • Milhouse

    “Sadly, many children each year kill themselves as a result of accidental discharge, because they gained access to their parents’ firearm. ”

    Oh, really? How many is “many”? Do you have any idea? Or are you just making things up? Is it more or less than the number of toddlers who drown in buckets? Is it more or less than those killed by lightning?

    Meanwhile, between one and two MILLION crimes a year are prevented by armed would-be victims.

  • To Author

    You’re as wrong as it gets.
    First of all, the reason there are many deaths with children and firearms is because most firearm owners are hillbillies without common sense, which is not the case here.
    Second, the training is not nearly as tough as you make it, and you don’t need to train regularly to be able to shoot a terrorist 15 feet away. Cops shoot from distances, and it’s their job, that’s why they train regularly.
    Third, the sense of security can’t hurt when you are targeted for death; that is only the case by robberies.
    Throughout history the weak are targeted, this wouldn’t stop the threat, but it will help.

  • Every Jew a .22

    sorry, I disagree. I’m a parent of Shluchim overseas and I’d buy the gun and pay for shooting lessons if I could get them to agree. I’m tired of worrying every time they go out into the “boonies”

    there are more deaths @ pools & by fires than by guns going off accidentally.

  • Author of the article

    In response to some of the comments.

    The point of the story of the Rebbe Rashab is that when he called a gun “Klei Eisov” it is not a blanket rule the same way the Friediker Rebbe carrying a revolver is not a blanket rule. It all depends on the situation.

    I am not an anti-gun activist. However, the point of the article is that in the face of a terrorist threat (i.e. not a robbery, holdup, mugging etc), a personal sidearm will only compliment the current security situation and not supplement it. Meaning, advocating that Shluchim should (acquire and) take upon themselves the responsibilities of a firearm under the assumption that it will secure them from a terrorist threat is dangerous. Does that mean it cannot help? No. It means that it is not a real solution.

    To all those who out there who have a colt 45, 12ga shotgun, and a .50 caliber rifle, good on you. I’m glad you feel comfortable handling guns. However you cannot expect everyone else to obtain necessary proficiency and maintain it. Encouraging someone who may not feel comfortable with a firearm or who may not be the ideal candidate under the presumption that it is a necessary requirement to protect himself (when in fact there is a better alternative) is wrong. If any Shliach out there wants to arm himself, go ahead. Just do so knowing it is not a supplement.”

  • Agree to Disagree

    First of all on the issue of danger to children when searching fatality reports with the CDC there was 1,277 accidental gun deaths involving children age 0-17 from years 1999-2009.With same search parameters of accidental (unintentional) drowning 10,753. And before anyone starts saying “well you know there is more pools than guns” there is an estimated 10 million pools in the US while the FBI estimates that there is 200,000,000 (2 hundred million !!!!) privately owned fire arms in the US. So as in anything in life such as a car, pool, and plane a gun is a tool and no it’s not for killing it’s for self defense, and for some a past time (target shooting). I’m not saying that it’s not dangerous but, did you ever take a moment to think about the knives you have in your house that there entire us is to cut stab and dice (in most cases steak and vegetables and such) yet you leave them in easily accessible drawers. While most gun owners have a safe within a safe (safe plus trigger lock) for their guns. Yes gun ownership comes with a lot of responsibility and if a person thinks no KNOWS that they is up to task than he has every right to buy and carry a firearm (legally of course).

    Secondly about the“ Rebbe Maharash” calling a “Kli EisaV” the man was there to assassinate the Rebbe. The gun was there to kill while the “Friediker Rebbes” gun was for self defense. When Yaakov gave Shechem to Yosef he said that I conquered with my Bow (and arrow) the same primary weapon of Eisav. The difference was the bow of Yisrael was for defense of Bnai Yisrael and the bow of Eisav was for Vidal.

    Thirdly you bring the case of Assault rifles vs. hand guns as a former member of I.D.F (sayeret Golani) and now in the security consultant business I can tell you that a hand gun provides a viable defense in close quarter combat (CQB) such as house, shul etc. while the odds are not stacked in the favor of the handgun the odds are entirely stacked against the unarmed victim of a terrorist (not the same for a regular burglary where you statically will survive even without a weapon). With proper training and no you don’t need commando training but training that prepares you for your institution you can learn to use your knowledge of the schematics of the institution to your lethal advantage. And yes with self defense and weapon training after a period of several months you will become a proficient shooter and self dense aware. (Think of the advantage of shluchim training in Krav Maga self defense and WEIGHT LOSS) while you won’t be a SEAL but you will be a force to be reckoned with. I don’t thing majority of terrorist are either SEAL or commando trained. They are trained to terrorize they are cowards who pick on civilians (except in few cases where they attack military and law enforcement personal but that is when they are ready for heavy or complete losses) You cite the exchange between Indian forces and the terrorist, I have no idea what you’re talking about the exchange before the situation became a hostage one was with Indian police with antique rifles and pistols that where misfiring (and if you look at footage you will see the police running away!!) Obviously the Glock (or Sig my two companies of choice) won’t stop terrorist attacks but it will give shluchim a fighting chance. The training is not hard but you need to do it and practice be committed. (continued..)

  • Agree to Disagree #2

    (…Continued) Last but not least you talk about the “sense of security “ yes you have a point that a untrained person might think I have a Glock on my hip with one in the chamber I don’t need anybody else to protect me I got it covered. But with proper weapon and self defense training you will know that like Yaakov when he prepared to meet Eisav he did three things 1. Pray to Hashem- in the end of the the day it’s all in his hands he decides what will and what won’t happen. Two sent Eisav gifts- unfortunately the terrorist (an in that case all enemies of the Jewish people) are seldom appeased with gifts and money so therefore it would be wise to give that money to our friends and agencies that will protect us hire the security/intelligence companies 3. He prepared for war – splitting into two camps that way if one gets attacked the other will be able to escape. Yes even with a gun they may still attack but be prepared give a viable deterrent that they will think twice before entering a room give time for the authorities to respond and for you to implement your escape plan (part of self defense and weapons training).

    To summarize you don’t need a gun buts it’s not a bad idea if,

    · You are legally permitted to own or carry

    · You are responsible to own maintain and store it properly (in a safe)

    · You will take and update self defense and weapons training

    · Don’t fall into a false sense of security

    · Remember the gun is last ditch after all your other safeguards fail

    Remember first to daven and very soon we will be zoche to Moshiach

  • TO ALL OF U!

    1:To my eyes this article was written to the shluchim so if your not a shliach please don’t write harmful comments because you don’t know what they need etc.2: if you are a shliach just read the article and see if it works for you if not there is no need to put this article down!

    ACHDUS!!!

  • yossi

    Anybody who has ever held or fired a gun knows that a gun without bullets is as useful as a rock.
    Guns are only as dangerous as the ignorant users of them, statistics of accidental deaths dont take into account how many of them are caused by illegal guns, meaning guns that are being used by some teenage gang member that has no clue about gun safety, who’s child happens to find it etc……

    Those that are naive enough to think their families are safer because they DONT have a gun are suffering from the same delusion as those who think Israel would be better off with an Arab state in the middle of it.

    Its not deluded to think that having a gun makes you safer as the author would have you believe, it is in fact because you ARE safer, if criminals feared they were targeting armed men and women they would go after softer targets; the deluded ones with a warning sign of a big dog, a paper tiger that no better protects you then an unloaded gun

  • awacs

    “Sadly, many children each year kill themselves as a result of accidental discharge, because they gained access to their parents’ firearm. ”

    As it pointed out in the literature, a swimming pool is about EIGHT times more dangerous than a gun at home. So, make your home safer: fill in the pool, and buy a gun instead!

  • Huh???

    To Author again.

    what do you mean you are not an anti gun activist? Did you see the title of your article “A BAD IDEA”

  • sum guy

    whose idea was it to send the holtzbergs to india in the first place?
    Don’t say the “Rebbe” – because why, in all the time from 1950 to 1992 NO COUPLES were ever placed there on a permanent basis?!
    Was there no India before 2003?
    Was there NOT A SINGLE JEW that ever traveled there before 2003?
    If there were people being sent to major cities throughout the world, why wasn’t “Bombay” on the map?
    Didn’t the Rebbe know if there was potential to reach jews in India in all that time?
    Don’t go to seriously dangerous places – then you won’t need guns!

  • Dovid Herz

    Who wrote this nonsense? Apparently someone who does not want his name published. A well trained pistol expert will be able to defend and delay an attacker anytime within seconds. Waiting for the police to come and “protect” you against criminals and/or terrorists is a waste of time – literally. If criminals and terrorists KNOW that folks are armed and trained at your shul or Jewish organization, they most likely will avoid you and look for a “soft target.” My two cents from an ex-cop, field grade military officer and trained expert sharpshooter.