Code of Arms: Weapons in Halacha

Adapted from the writings of Dayan Yitzhak Grossman

June 26, 2025

In recent years, there appears to have been an increase in the number of Orthodox Jews that carry firearms for protection, especially at times of tension in the U.S. or war in Eretz Yisrael R”l. In this article, we explore Torah perspectives on bearing arms for self-defense.

Weapons: ornaments or disgrace?

There is a dispute in the Mishnah whether one who bears arms in a reshus harabim (public domain) on Shabbos is liable to bring a chatas (sin offering). R’ Eliezer maintains that weapons are ornaments for the bearer, so he is not liable,[1] while the Chachamim say that he is, because

[Weapons] are nothing but a disgrace, as it is written (about the era of Moshiach): “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

In a breisa cited in the Gemara, R’ Eliezer defends his position: Although weapons are currently ornamental, they will nevertheless be eliminated in the era of Moshiach because they will become unnecessary, so they will no longer have even an ornamental function, just as “a candle in the afternoon” has no function.

The Gemara proceeds with an alternative explanation of R’ Eliezer’s view: He holds that even in the era of Moshiach, weapons will not be eliminated, in line with the view of Shmuel that “the only difference between this world and the era of Moshiach is subjugation of the exiles.” According to this view, society will not change, and wars will continue to be waged.

The Gemara concludes by adducing a source in Tehillim for R’ Eliezer’s position that weapons are considered ornaments: “Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, your majesty and your splendor.”[2],[3]

We have, then, a fundamental machlokess about the Torah’s attitude toward weapons: R’ Eliezer considers them ornaments—at least in the pre-Moshiach world—but the Chachamim consider them a disgrace, presumably something to avoid unless absolutely necessary.

Muktzeh

Some poskim maintain that a firearm is muktzeh on Shabbos as a kli shemelachto le’issur (a utensil whose function is prohibited on Shabbos), because its primary function is to be fired, but the Shmiras Shabbos Kehilchasah, citing R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, says:

It seems that carrying a rifle or pistol in order to cause fear is actually considered tzorech gufo (moving it for the purpose of using it, for a permitted function, which is allowed with a kli shemelachto le’issur). And it seems that outside of wartime, most of their use is only to intimidate.[4]

R’ Shlomo Zalman seems to be saying that a firearm is actually a kli shemelachto leheteir, because its primarily function in peacetime is deterrence rather than shooting.

The Klausenberger Rebbe initially assumes that a firearm is a kli shemelachto le’issur[5] and cites various Acharonim who categorize swords that way.[6] But he ultimately concludes that “in our times, when most of those who bear arms do so only to impose fear, and on the contrary, they are prohibited from using them,” a weapon may be characterized as a kli shemelachto le’issur uleheteir, which has the same status as a kli shemelachto leheteir.[7]

Hotza’ah

The Or Zarua rules that when there is fear and rumor of impending enemy attack, it is permitted to carry weapons on Shabbos “to guard and to make a commotion in the city” in order to forestall the attack, because “we are not meticulous in situations of pikuach nefesh.”[8]

Over the past century, many poskim have considered the permissibility of carrying weapons on Shabbos in various circumstances of necessity and danger;[9] analysis of their rulings and the numerous questions involved is beyond the scope of this article.

[1]The Me’iri implies that R’ Eliezer nevertheless prohibits bearing them lechat’chilah, and this is the explicit position of the Magein Avraham (siman 301 s.k. 27). Meleches Shlomo is uncertain about this. Rabeinu Prachiah ben Nisim interprets R’ Eliezer to permit bearing arms even lechat’chilah, but he understands that the Mishnah actually records two different dissenting views: one that merely forbids the practice, and one that maintains that it engenders chatas liability. Cf. Machatzis Hashekel ibid.; R’ Dovid Lau, Tiltul Klei Neshek BeShabbos.

[2]Tehillim 45:4.

[3]Shabbos 63a. See Shu”t Igros Moshe O.C. cheilek 4 siman 81.

[4]Shmiras Shabbos Kehilchasah (new edition) Ch. 20 n. 29 p. 298.

[5]Shu”t Divrei Yatziv O.C. cheilek 1 siman 148 os 1.

[6]Shu”t Zera Emess cheilek 3 siman 24 s.v. Teshuvah; Mishneh Lechem (R’ Yaakov Emden, second edition of Lechem Mishneh) Shabbos ibid.

[7]Divrei Yatziv ibid. end of os 4.

[8]Or Zarua ibid. This ruling is codified by the Rama in O.C. 329:6.

[9]Shu”t Zeicher Simcha (R’ Simcha Bamberger) siman 35; Shu”t Chelkas Yaakov O.C. siman 96; Divrei Yatziv ibid.; R’ Avraham Avidan, Tiltul Dvarim Chiyuni’im Lelo Eiruv, Techumin Vol. 4 from p. 227; R’ Re’eim Hakohein, Tiltul Batzava, ibid. from p. 234 (the latter two sources are cited by Rav Lau in n. 20 of his article); Rav Lau ibid.