The Revenge Business
This week’s Torah reading raises a fascinating (disturbing?) issue. God requires Moshe Rabbeinu to avenge B’nei Yisrael upon the people of Midian (Bamidbar 31:2). Isn’t taking revenge specifically prohibited (LO TIKOM, Vayikra 19:18). Is God telling our beloved leader and guide to sin? Of course not, but let’s try to figure out why not.
Why is taking revenge prohibited? The Chizkuni explains that ‘your inability to conquer your anger would reflect poorly on your personality’. Please, remember that the end of the verse which prohibits us to take revenge is ‘and you shall love your fellow as yourself’. In other words, we are supposed to be giving people the benefit of the doubt in such a way that we should be finding excuses for their bad behavior, just as we constantly justify our own behavior.
Plus, we’re really not against taking revenge or, at least, making people pay for their transgressions. We call that ‘justice’. It’s just that for proper justice we need courts, representing society at large. We need a system of retribution which is ‘blind’, not biased and self serving.
Therefore, every Wednesday traditional Jews recite Psalm 94: God of vengeance, O Eternal, God of vengeance appear! As the week wears on us, we want God to do something about those miserable guys ruining our individual lives. Remember, Wednesday’s child is full of woe!
BTW my favorite verse from the Wednesday Psalm: Whenever I feel my foot slipping, your faithful love steadies me, O Eternal! We need Divine help to make it to the next Shabbat.
Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch points out (Breishit 4:15) that the root of ‘vengeance’ (NAKAM) is really a form of the word YAKAM to set up or erect. It implies that the establishment of ZEDEK, righteousness, in a world where it has been trampled (NIRMAS) beneath our feet, requires the downtrodden to stand erect (ZAKUF) anew. We can’t undo the damage, but we can renew justice in the world.
So, God is assigning Moshe the judicial (and, perhaps, Divine) responsibility to take proper and justified revenge on the behavior of Midian. We are still left with two questions. First, why Midian specifically, wasn’t Moav also involved in the sin described at the end of Parshat Balak, with all that idolatry and promiscuity? And why is this Moshe’s job? Isn’t there anyone around who isn’t 120 years old, and ready to pass on?
To answer the first question Rashi points out that Moab entered into the matter out of fear for the might of Yisrael. However, Midian mixed into a quarrel which didn’t involve them, for they lived quite distant from the route of the Jews. Plus, Reb Ovadia Bartenura points out that the Moabites were already punished because it was their daughters who were killed in that unfortunate incident.
Rashi also quotes the Midrash that Moab had to be spared because in the future Ruth would descend from them. Ruth’s role is, of course, ultimately crucial in the destiny of Yisrael.
But now what about poor Moshe? Couldn’t Pinchas finish the job he started so illustriously? Or what about that leader in the wings, Yehoshua? Couldn’t one of these younger men take care of this messy situation?
There are so many observations and responses to this famous query that I can only share a small sampling of the remarks I have found or heard over time, but they are my favorites.
First, an almost parenthetical idea, but one which attests to Moshe’s piety. Doesn’t God say to Moshe: Take care of this little job, and then you can pass away (‘be gathered unto your people’). I mean, wouldn’t most of us find all sorts of reasons and excuses to postpone this assignment, so that we could continue to hang around on this side of terra firma? But not Moshe. He is the ZADIK who is ZARIZ (full of enthusiasm) to jump at the opportunity to fulfill the command of God.
The Tifferet Shlomo suggests a mystical idea, based on the Ari. The Midianites were using the power of the ‘sparks’ which fell to earth after the sin of Adam for negative purposes, and it required a great spiritual force to undo that damage. The job of repair was begun by the zealous purity of Pinchas, and required the spiritual power of Moshe to complete. Added to that idea could be a Midrash that the grave of Moshe was on the threshold of Eretz Yisrael, and forever the evil of those ‘sparks’ would have to attempt to pass through the protection of Moshe’s grave to enter Eretz Yisrael.
But amongst all the fascinating and ingenious ideas to deal with this conundrum, my favorite is relatively simple, yet elegant. The Netziv writes that the pertinent idea is a verse: The righteous shall rejoice when they witness the retribution (NEKAM, Psalms 58:11).
The Zadikim find great solace, comfort and, even, joy in the fundamental belief that righteousness ultimately triumphs. God wanted to grant Moshe the boon of witnessing that reassuring reality before he departed this realm.
Rebbe Nachman points out that the end of that verse in Psalms states that the feet of the wicked will be washed in their own blood. That rather gruesome vision hints to the fact that this satisfactory vision is emphasized on the ‘feet’ events, namely the three REGALIM, pilgramage festivals. While Shabbat, on the other hand, glorifies God’s loving kindness, the Chagim celebrate our victories and survival.
Moshe’s participation in this act of vengeance and justice in his final days reminds us to never forget that all the injustice of this world will be avenged and corrected, eventually. We live in a world which is full of iniquity and outrage, but we must never lose hope.
Live a daily life of CHESED and love, but know that vengeance and war are also part of our national reality. Be prepared and have HOPE! Someday, we’ll get out of the Vengeance Business.
