VALUES and JEWISH OUTLOOK (HASHKAFA)
(יג) וַיִּחַר אַף אֱלֹקִים כִּי הוֹלֵךְ הוּא וַיִּתְיַצֵּב מַלְאַךְ ה' (במדבר כב, כב),... כָּךְ אָמַר לוֹ: הַפֶּה נִתַּן לְיַעֲקֹב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כז, כב): הַקֹּל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו, וּכְתִיב (בראשית כז, מ): וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ תִחְיֶה. וְהָאֻמּוֹת כֻּלָּם בַּחֶרֶב חַיֵּיהֶם, וְאַתָּה תַּחְלִיף [אמונת]) אֻמָּנוּתְךָ וְתָבוֹא עֲלֵיהֶם בְּשֶׁלָּהֶן, אַף אֲנִי אָבוֹא עָלֶיךָ בְּשֶׁלְּךָ, לְכָךְ כְּתִיב (במדבר כב, כג): וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ.
"God was incensed that Bil'am was going[to curse Israel]. An angel of the Lord stood..." (Numbers 22:22) ... Thus He said to him [=Bil'am]: "The mouth was granted to Jacob, as it is said, "the voice is Jacob's voice, and the hands are the hands of Esau" (Genesis 27:22), and it is is written, "you [=Esau] shall live by your sword" (Genesis 27:40). All the nations (i.e., other than the Jews) depend on the sword for their lives, and you would exchange your craft and attack them [=Israel] with theirs [that is, by using words as a weapon]?! I shall hereby attack you with your own [craft]! Thus it is written, "his [the angel's, or, midrashically, Bil'am's] sword was unsheathed in his [the angel's] hand" (Numbers 22:23).
(ג) בחרבי ובקשתי כְּשֶׁהָרְגוּ שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אֶת אַנְשֵׁי שְׁכֶם נִתְכַּנְּסוּ כָּל סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם לְהִזְדַּוֵּג לָהֶם, וְחָגַר יַעֲקֹב כְּלֵי מִלְחָמָה כְּנֶגְדָּן...
(3) בחרבי ובקשתי WITH MY SWORD AND WITH MY BOW — When Simeon and Levi slew the inhabitants of Shechem all the surrounding nations gathered together to join in battle against them and Jacob girded on instruments of war against them (cf. Genesis Rabbah 80:10) ...
(א) לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (ס) ...(ח) עֵ֤ת לֶֽאֱהֹב֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂנֹ֔א עֵ֥ת מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְעֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (ס)
(1) A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven: ... (8) A time for loving and a time for hating; A time for war and a time for peace.
(א) ה' איש מלחמה ה' שמו, ר' יהודה אומר הרי זה מקרא עשיר במקומות הרבה מגיד שנגלה עליהם הקב"ה בכל כלי זיין נגלה עליהם כגבור חגור חרב שנאמר חגור חרבך על ירך גבור (תהלים מה), נגלה עליהם כפרש שנ' וירכב על כרוב ויעף וגו' (שם יח),
(1) (Exodus, Ibid. 3) "The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name." R. Yehudah says: This is a verse 'rich in many places.' It teaches that the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself to them with all kinds of weapons. He revealed Himself to them as a warrior girded with a sword, viz. (Psalms 45:4) "Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Hero. He revealed Himself to them as a rider, viz. (Ibid. 18:11) "And He mounted a cherub and flew, etc. ...
HALACHIC CONCERNS
(ד) לֹא יֵצֵא הָאִישׁ לֹא בְסַיִף, וְלֹא בְקֶשֶׁת, וְלֹא בִתְרִיס, וְלֹא בְאַלָּה, וְלֹא בְרֹמַח. וְאִם יָצָא, חַיָּב חַטָּאת. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, תַּכְשִׁיטִין הֵן לוֹ. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵינָן אֶלָּא לִגְנַאי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ב) וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת, לֹא יִשָּׂא גּוֹי אֶל גּוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה. ...
(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. If he has gone out [with any of these] he is liable for a Chattat. Rabbi Eliezer says: They are ornaments for him. But the Sages say: They are nothing but a disgrace, for it is said, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears unto pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:4). ...
Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren, Mashiv Milchama
Regarding Shabbat observance, a firearm is no different than a Kiddush cup, and a holster is no different that a decorative spread used to cover the challah loaves.... a firearm is something that is needed for Shabbat observance, because it is intended for security, enabling a Jew to celebrate the Shabbat in peace. Even though shooting a gun is a form of igniting fire, something normally prohibited on Shabbat, in situations where life is imperiled, shooting a gun is a mitzvah....
Rabbi Yehoshua Neurvert, Shmirat Shabbat K’Hilchatah
A firearm is indeed categorized as “muktzah” since firing (ignited fire) is prohibited on Shabbat. Nonetheless, carrying a firearm on Shabbat is allowed since it has a definite value as a deterrent - discouraging enemies from attacking Jews on Shabbat. Therefore, it is needed for the observance of Shabbat. Furthermore, since carrying a firearm is a deterrent, there is no need for immediate danger in order to carry one. When the enemies of the Jews know that we are ready to defend ourselves, mobs are less likely to rise up against us.