Gun Control In Judaism

Torah Sources

(ג) וְעַתָּה֙ שָׂא־נָ֣א כֵלֶ֔יךָ תֶּלְיְךָ֖ וְקַשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְצֵא֙ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה וְצ֥וּדָה לִּ֖י צידה [צָֽיִד׃]

(3) Take your gear, your quiver and bow, and go out into the open and hunt me some game.

(א) אִם־בַּמַּחְתֶּ֛רֶת יִמָּצֵ֥א הַגַּנָּ֖ב וְהֻכָּ֣ה וָמֵ֑ת אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ דָּמִֽים׃

(1) If the thief is seized while thieving, and he is killed, there is no blood in his case.

Mishnah Sources

(ד) לֹא יֵצֵא הָאִישׁ לֹא בְסַיִף, וְלֹא בְקֶשֶׁת, וְלֹא בִתְרִיס, וְלֹא בְאַלָּה, וְלֹא בְרֹמַח.

(4) A man may not go out with a sword, nor with a bow, nor with a shield, nor with a round shield, nor with a spear.

רבי אליעזר אומר תכשיטין הן לו

Rabbi Eliezer says: These weapons are ornaments for him; just as a man is permitted to go out into the public domain with other ornaments, he is permitted to go out with weapons.

Gemara Sources

ר' אליעזר אומר תכשיטין הן לו: תניא אמרו לו לרבי אליעזר וכי מאחר דתכשיטין הן לו מפני מה הן בטלין לימות המשיח אמר להן לפי שאינן צריכין שנאמר (ישעיהו ב, ד)

We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Eliezer says: These weapons are ornaments for him. It was taught in a baraita that elaborates on this subject: The Rabbis said to Rabbi Eliezer: And since, in your opinion, they are ornaments for him, why are they to be eliminated in the messianic era? He said to them: They will not be needed anymore, as it is stated: “Nation will not raise sword against nation” (Isaiah 2:4).

ועוד תניא אין מוכרין להם לא זיין ולא כלי זיין ואין משחיזין להן את הזיין

And furthermore, it is taught in a baraita: One may not sell weapons to gentiles or the auxiliary equipment of weapons, and one may not sharpen weapons for them.

Mishneh Torah Sources

אָסוּר לִמְכֹּר לְעַכּוּ''ם כָּל כְּלֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְאֵין מַשְׁחִיזִין לָהֶם אֶת הַזַּיִן וְאֵין מוֹכְרִין לָהֶן לֹא סַכִּין וְלֹא קוֹלָרִין וְלֹא כְּבָלִים [שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל] וְלֹא שַׁלְשְׁלָאוֹת שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל הִינְדּוּאָה וְלֹא דֻּבִּים וַאֲרָיוֹת וְלֹא כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ נֵזֶק לָרַבִּים. אֲבָל מוֹכְרִין לָהֶן תְּרִיסִין שֶׁאֵינָן אֶלָּא לְהָגֵן:

It is forbidden to sell arms of any kind to heathen ; one should not sharpen their weapons; one should not sell them a knife — — or anything that is likely to be a public danger. Shields, however, may be sold to them, since they are used only for defense.

Modern Source

Article on Jewish Views on Guns.

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hunting-in-judaism/

“Jews have the lowest rate of gun ownership of among all religious groups, with just 13 percent of Jewish households owning firearms (compared to 41 percent for non-Jews) and only 10 percent of Jews personally owning a gun (compared to 26 percent).” Jews have “repeatedly thrown their support behind gun control measures,” and “a 2013 list of prominent anti-gun activists compiled by the National Rifle Association included several of the largest Jewish groups.” The article also cites Israel’s gun control situation, saying “Unlike the United States, Israel has no right to bear arms, and only certain groups of citizens are eligible to get a gun license — among them residents of West Bank settlements. Background checks, weapons training and demonstration of a bona fide reason for needing a gun are prerequisites for obtaining one. Maintaining a license requires completing regular courses in shooting and undergoing regular psychological evaluations. As many as 80 percent of Israel's license requests are turned down annually.”