Emulating a Vengeful God: ve'Halachta bi'Drachav and E-l Nekamos

Length: 1 hour 52 minutes
Synopsis: Thoughts of vengeance have been on the minds of Jews worldwide since October 7th. In less than two weeks, we’ll celebrate Purim — a holiday in which vengeance is a dominant theme. We are commanded to emulate Hashem’s ways, and He is explicitly described as "vengeful" throughout Tanach. Are we meant to emulate Him in this regard? How does this align with the Torah’s halachic and ethical stance on revenge? How does it fit into the Torah's broader philosophy of ethics? In this morning's YBT Sunday shiur (3/2/25), we explore an approach developed by Ibn Kaspi, rooted in the statements of Chazal and the writings of the Rambam. We may not find answers to all these questions, but my hope is that this provides food for thought and reflection.
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מקורות:
רמב"ם - ספר המצוות: עשה ח'; לא תעשה ש"ג-ש"ד
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר במדע, הלכות דעות א:ה-ו; ב:ו; ז:ז-ח
ויקרא יט:יח
הואיל משה - תהלים צד:א
נחום א:ב
אסתר ח:יג
אבן כספי - שמות יז:טז; דברים כה:יז; בראשית מב:ט; ויקרא יט:יח
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תלמוד תורה ז:יג
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים הלכות סנהדרין והעונשין המסורין להן יח:א
יד פשוטה - הלכות דעות ז:ז
ר' אברהם בן הרמב"ם - מעשה נסים, מסילה יג עמוד 105
יומא כב:-כג.
מהרש"א - חידושי אגדות שם
ענף יוסף שם
תורה תמימה - ויקרא יט:יח, הערה 120
רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים א:נד (Goodman)
Goldmintz – The Rav on Tefillah: An Anthology of Teachings by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik on Jewish Prayer, pp.
חן למוט
איתן וייסמן - הנקמה: התנאים לאיסורה ולהיתרה
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The Torah content for this week has been sponsored by Rifka Kaplan-Peck in tribute to the Bibas family. May Hashem avenge their blood and may He grant Yarden Bibas and the extended family comfort in the love of Am Yisroel who mourn with them.
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