Wednesday, August 17, 2016

VaEschanan / Ethics of our Fathers 4:19 - Downfall of an Enemy


שְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן אוֹמֵר, "בִּנְפֹל אוֹיִבְךָ אַל תִּשְׂמָח וּבִכָּשְׁלוֹ אַל יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ, פֶּן יִרְאֶה ה' וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ",
(משלי כד יז יח).

Samuel the Small would say: "When your enemy falls, do not rejoice; when he stumbles, let your heart not be gladdened. Lest Gd will see, and it will be displeasing in His eyes, and He will turn His wrath from him [to you]" (Proverbs 24:17-18).

Dealing with the destruction of the wicked is a delicate contradictory subject. On one hand it is normal for a person to be happy with the fall of the wicked especially if he has been a victim of their persecution. On the other hand a decent person will also feel bad about death and ruin falling on any human being.

In the American war against slavery General Sherman brought its proponents to their knees by means of massive destruction. After an important victory, his soldiers held a large celebration. When General Sherman did not show up, they asked him why. He explained that he could not celebrate any victory that came over a mountain of dead bodies.

In a similar vein at the Pesach Seder the Jews celebrate the destruction of the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea. Never the less a drop of wine is spilled from the cup of joy for each plague. This is because our joy is diminished because it came in connection with harm inflicted on others. This dichotomy is also captured in the laws concerning executions. It is required to publicly hang the corpse of the violator on a pole. However it must be buried before nightfall because the curse of G-d is on it and having it remain will defile the land.

Shmuel the Small, who wrote the above Mishna, was renowned as a great tsadik. One day when the sages of the Talmud were dining a voice from heaven declared concerning him that it was fitting that the divine presence should rest on him, except this generation did not merit such a thing (Sanhedrin 11.) In connection with this Rabban Gamliel the head of the Sanhedrin entrusted him with the difficult task of writing a prayer concerning the hardship caused by apostates, informers, and enemies of the Jewish people. He wrote that they should have no hope, be destroyed in an instant, and speedily and in our days be uprooted, shattered, pounded, embarrassed, brought low, and subdued; and blessed the G-d that does this. The prayer is included in the standard religious service today.

The quote above from Proverbs is mentioned in his name because he frequently said it. It stands in contrast, though, to many verses that seem to say the opposite. A frequently cited one is, “In the good of the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked are lost, there is song”, (Proverbs 11:10). The commentaries are often distressed by this sentiment as it does not seem to be in the spirit of religion and make many attempts to reconcile it with the spirit of Shmuel HaKatan.

Rabbi Simcha the author of the Machzor Vitry comments that this refers to people who are happy about the misfortunes of their friends. He continues that this is only talking about people who hate each other because of worldly affairs. Shmuel, he continues, was discussing two religious scholars that wrestle with each other over the meaning of the law. In this situation one should not be jolly over his friend’s loss of the argument.

Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerondi comments that one should be careful concerning the demise of an evil associate because the happiness about the downfall may not be for the sake of heaven. The problem is that the person may not be hated because he is bad rather because he is an enemy.

Mordechai Rabinovitz in his elucidation of Maimonides commentary on the Mishna remarks that one should be forgiving and not harbor hatred in his heart and abstain from joy due to the catastrophes of associates even if they are reckoned as an enemy. However with the downfall of Haman and others like him it is suitable to celebrate as it says, “When the malevolent are lost there is song”.

In a conflict sometimes the winning side is good but has made mistakes. And sometimes the losing side is bad but never the less had a reasonable grievance. Therefore it is appropriate to celebrate victory in war with parades, fireworks, and speeches describing heroism in battle. However the celebration should not be ugly with things like gore or gratuitous humiliation of the loser. Neither should there be gloating, frivolity, or smug self-righteousness. The objective of the victor is to justify heaven’s confidence in him and not to do anything that will restore the power of the enemy.




לע"נ הדוד לייב הערש בן אהרן ז"ל נלב"ע יז תמוז תשמ"ב
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