Die Organisation der Rabbiner für den Frieden und zu Gunsten der Menschenrechte

Morde wie die gegen den 16-jährigen Palästinenser Mohammad Abu Khdeir, bezeichnet der Rabbiner als einen offensichtlichen Racheakt von Seiten der israelischen Juden und verurteilt ihn somit.

In this week’s parasha, Rabbi Shmuel Reinter explores the concept of revenge in the Torah, showing us that such things are only within the domain of God Himself.  For the rest of us, it is our responsibility to surpass our natural, vengeful desires and instead choose humility. 

In our portion, Parashat Matot, God commands Moses to avenge the Midianites and only then to be gathered to his forefathers.

 “And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: ‘Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.’ And Moses spoke unto the people, saying: ‘Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD’S vengeance on Midian” (Numbers 31:1-3).

Moses will not leave this world until he avenges the Midianites. Does the Torah encourage revenge and does it consider it a commandment?

Rise Above Revenge

In the Bible we find revenge in some places but it is taken out of the hands of human beings and usually given to God who is the judge of the world in righteousness. Therefore “God is the Lord of vengeance.”

Even in this passage the Torah puts a restriction on vengeance. The vengeance is not that of the injured Moses but it is God’s vengeance. “…to execute the LORD’S vengeance on Midian.” Moses is asked to be the agent, but he is not the principal.

The Torah sees man’s need to avenge as a weakness and he who rises above revenge as a whole human being. We are commanded “Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge.” Although it goes on to say “against the children of thy people,” it still says something about the attribute, that vengeance expresses weakness not strength.

There is a beautiful passage in Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s (RaMCHaL) Path of the Just (Mesilat Yesharim) (Padua, Italy, 1707-1747):

 “Hate and revenge, too, are very difficult for man’s spiteful heart to escape, for in view of his being extremely sensitive to insult, and suffering great anguish because of it, revenge, being the only thing which will put him at rest, is sweeter than honey to him. Therefore, if it is within his power to abandon the urging of his nature and to overlook the offense so as not to hate the one who ignited hatred within him, nor to take revenge against him when the opportunity to do so presents itself, nor to hold a grudge against him, but to forget the whole affair and remove it from his heart as if it had never occurred – if he can do this, he is strong and courageous. Such conduct is easy only for the ministering angels among whom the aforementioned traits do not exist, not for ‘dwellers in houses of clay whose roots are in dust’ (Job 4:19). But the King has decreed (in perfectly lucid language, requiring no interpretation) (Leviticus 19:17,18), ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart … Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge against the children of your nation.’ The difference between taking revenge and bearing a grudge is that the first indicates a person’s withholding good from one who kept some good from him or injured him in some way, whereas the second denotes a person’s interlarding a worthy act towards one who had wronged him with some reminder of that wrong” (Path of the Just, Chapter 11).

HaRamChal notes the paradox that revenge is “sweeter than honey” and therefore poses a challenge. The need of the injured party to take revenge will not be solved by declarations and slogans and stickers. Contending with revenge requires a great effort and deep thought. Luzzatto presents us with the educational challenge of “surpassing our attributes,” in his words, to concede and delay satisfaction.

Vengeance is for God Alone

The last act of revenge that shocked Israeli society from end to end was undertaken by a fringe element; we might need to offer a “broken-necked heifer” to atone for the existence of such fringes. But the need for vengeance is human and natural and exists in every society and at every level. The responsibility is incumbent on us to contend with that need, perhaps with humility. We are not competent to take revenge. Vengeance is God’s alone!

16 year old Palestinian Mohammad Abu Khdeir, murdered in apparent revenge attack by Israeli Jews