Is there a conceptual and spiritual place to rejoice in the death of the enemy? Not sure at all • Two rabbis explain: why there is also room for sorrow for the death of an arch-terrorist

• Kassem Suleimani // Photo: AFP

The assassination of Iranian general Hassan Suleimani pleased many Israelis last Saturday. The fact that he was a murderer who shed a great deal of blood, and that he was one of the great arrowheads against the Jewish people and the State of Israel, naturally inspires a desire to smile and say blessedly that we were fired.

But beyond the natural sense of well-being over the death of an enemy, the question arises - whether it is conceptually and spiritually to rejoice in the killing of an enemy and victory in battle on the other side, or that despite the obligation to protect ourselves, one should not rejoice because every person was created in the image of God, and that the Creator Sorry for any damage done to one of his fellows.

Credit: News agencies in Iraq

Rabbi David Fall explains that there is room to rejoice in the killing of a wicked man who fought for the people of Israel, but he points out that this joy should be moderated and not expressed in an extreme and extravagant way. "The verse says, 'In the loss of the wicked Reina,' there is clearly joy with the departure of evil haters of Israel and haters of people who are different. At the same time, joy must be subdued and not too extroverted and for three reasons. Second, the more joy we show, the more our enemies will have to seek vengeful revenge for us. The third reason is that our greatest joy is that we are the best in the world, that eviction helps to achieve our goals, but is not the main thing.

"Obviously, there is joy in getting away from the wicked." Rabbi David Fall // Photo: Gideon Markovich

"Our intuitive sense - the joy of eliminating such terrorists, is true," explains Rabbi Yoni Lavie. He said that we should rejoice in the elimination of a wicked man but at the same time regret that we had no choice but to act that way. "From a Jewish perspective, when there is a fight between good and bad, then any cleansing of the world air from evil is good and proper."

Rabbi Lavi also quotes the verse "in the loss of the wicked Rina" and explains: "We are glad for all the evil that was avoided with the liquidation of this man. It does not contradict the fact that there is a sense of sorrow that it was done in such a way and that there was no choice but to kill the man. More so that all the wicked in the world will repent and help enlighten our world with all their great powers. But with all the sorrow of the need to kill, it is sacred and important work. "

"So, if a man can do it and fight the wicked and kill them then this is the way and he has nothing to regret or be ashamed of. I will cite the important US General Norman Schwarzkop, who fought the US on terror and terrorism, and led the first Iraq war. He was once asked why we do not leave the bad judgment to the Creator and we do. He replied that in truth, the Creator is the judge. We only make the terrorist's encounter with the Creator. In any case, it is also clear that killing a man like Suleimani who has done so badly and caused so many widows and orphans does not really pay for all the evil he has done and all the grief he has caused but it is already an account that the Lord will do with him. "