I remember the street called Mordechai Anielewicz in the city I grew up in, where thousands of Jewish people lived and died during World War 2. It was found in the middle of Warsaw Jewish Ghetto under a different name at that time. It was renamed after the war to commemorate the leader of the Jewish uprising in the ghetto – Mordechai Anielewicz. At that time the systematic extermination of the Jewish population in the Nazi death camps was no longer a secret. The motivation to resist and fight is summed up here:
“Let us not go as sheep to slaughter! It is true that we are weak and defenseless, but resistance is the only reply to the enemy! Brothers! It is better to fall as free fighters than to live by the grace of the murderers. Resist! To the last breath.” – Vilna Halutz, January 1942
“When we are faced by an arch-foe, whose unparalleled ruthlessness and program of total annihilation know no bounds, the Halakha demands that we fight and resist to the very end.” – Rabbi Menachem Ziemba, Warsaw, 1.14.1943
The original Mordecai is one of the leading characters in the book of Esther. Esther/Hadassah was his uncle’s daughter, an orphan whom Mordecai raised. The book tells the story of the deliverance of the Jewish people from their enemies in diaspora in Medo-Persia. There are many lessons to be learned from the story.
“…the Jews in the king’s provinces gathered together and… killed seventy five thousand of their enemies…
17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth day of the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.” – Esther 8:16-17
This is the origin of the festival of Purim. Well, I don’t like it. Here is why:
“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.” – Proverbs 24:17-18
Evidently I’m not the only one:
“…he never had to read the Megillah nor drink to celebrate an act of bloody revenge — that time we killed Haman, his sons and 75,000 of the Jews’ enemies throughout the ancient Persian empire. In typical fashion, Leibowitz cut to the chase. Purim is essentially about the celebration of violence.” – Dark Side of Purim, Forward
I don’t even like the 2nd part of the argument found in verse 18.
You could paraphrase it this way:
“If you really wish to see your enemy destroyed, don’t cause the Lord to turn His wrath away from him by your foolish rejoicing over it. Lament, grieve, be somber instead (not that that makes it right).”
Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people and the destruction of their enemies carried out by Jews themselves. Of course salvation is a great reason for joy. How about rejoicing over the enemies’ destruction? No wonder God is nowhere to be found, named, or heard from in the book of Esther.
Here is a New Testament quote that speaks to the issue. Evidently the believers at Rome grappled with the feelings of revenge too.
“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. 20 Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:17-21
The passage doesn’t represent the best of what God has for us. It was written in a way that the audience could receive. The argument goes like this: Do not avenge yourselves; let God do it for you. It still leaves the desire for revenge in place, just through a different means. It omits the fact that God is not obliged to carry out any kind of wrath on our behalf. The passage ends on a more positive note: “overcome evil with good.”
We read another story that speaks to the issue:
“And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans… But they did not receive Him,” – Luke 9:52-53
The Samaritans, being a type of an enemy, did not receive Yeshua.
“And when His disciples Ya’acov and Yohannan saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them…?” – Luke 9:54
Yeshua said:
“You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the son of man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” – Luke 9:55-56
Yeshua taught to love one’s enemies:
“…love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” – Luke 6:35
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” – Matthew 5:43-45
He is kind to the unthankful and evil, makes His sun rise on them, and sends rain on the unjust.
Who said “hate your enemy”? Does the Torah/Tanakh teach to hate?
Well, it doesn’t:
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” – Proverbs 25:21-22
What are the coals of fire on head? It’s conviction – you might win over your enemy:
“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” – Proverbs 16:7
Again, who said “hate your enemy”?
Fr. Cornelius a’Lapide follows the Glossa Ordinaria Scripture commentary of the pre-scholastic period: “I maintain, therefore, that this saying was not in the Law, but was said by the Scribes who interpreted the Law. For they, because they found in Leviticus XIX, 18, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour,’ or ‘thy friend,’ as the Vulgate translates, inferred from there that they should hate their enemies.”
“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 19:18
Who is your neighbor then?
“And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’
26 He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?’
27 So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’
28 And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Yeshua, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” – Luke 10:25-29
Yeshua answered him with a story of the good Samaritan and asked:
“So which of these three [priest, Levite, Samaritan] do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” – Luke 10:36
Who was the neighbor spoken of in this story? Was is the poor robbed man? No. The Bible scholar knew the answer:
“He who showed mercy” – Luke 10:37
Yeshua said: “Go and do likewise,” meaning “be a neighbor, a friend to your enemy.”
Yeshua corrected the false teaching of the Scribes who taught to “hate one’s enemies,” who misinterpreted and corrupted the original meaning of the Torah. Loving one’s enemies is the purest teaching of the Torah! At the same time, armed resistance to the enemy might be the only option and sober reality left. It leaves us with 3 modes: 1. loving your enemies – most of the time, 2. armed resistance to some devilish plot without resorting to lower nature – sometime, and 3. when under national/God’s judgment – I guess nothing will help then, just repent, keep your integrity, and remember, not everyone will!
To be continued…
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