As we prepare to read this week of the drowning of the Egyptian army in the red sea, I am reminded of the Mishna in Pirkei Avot that states: “Shmuel Hakatan would say: When your enemy falls, do not rejoice and let your heart not be glad when he stumbles lest God see and it displease Him and He turn away His wrath from him. (Mishlei 24:17-18)”.
Based on another verse in Mishlei, “When the wicked perish, there is joy”, why should a person not rejoice at his enemy’s downfall?
R. Yisrael Lipschutz, (1782-1860, who wrote a famous commentary on the Mishna named Tiferet Yisrael) differentiates between an evil person and your enemy. We can confidently enjoy the downfall of Stalin but should be careful about our own individual enemies. Perhaps a personal grudge biases our outlook and the other side is not as evil as we like to think. Since we may erroneously judge our enemy, better to not react with excess delight when he suffers. This approach reminds us to always look inwards, even in moment of righteous indignation in the face of evil.
May we see the fruition of the ultimate redemption that requires not the cutting down of evil but the blossoming of good. Shabbat Shalom!