[Avodah] Redemption

[Daniel Israel via Avodah]

On Jun 8, 2017, at 8:30 AM, Zev Sero via Avodah <avodah at lists.aishdas.org> wrote:
> On 08/06/17 07:31, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
>> How does a "goel hadam" work into all this? There is no restoration of
>> any kind. If the goel hadam was interested in justice, or even
>> punishment, he would bring the murderer to court. But in the heat of
>> the moment, his only thought is revenge. This is redemption?
> 
> The idea that revenge is not a legitimate or worthy goal is not Jewish.

An intriguing thesis, but I think you have hardly made your case.  Perhaps the issur on taking revenge is, so to speak, a middos chassidus but I think the simpler reading is that revenge is bad.

That doesn’t mean onesh is bad, consequences are bad, or the like.  Going back to RAM’s original question: who says the go’el hadam should be only thinking of revenge.  Perhaps he should try to rise above his anger and act only for kinnos ha’emes.

—
Daniel Israel
dmi1 at cornell.edu

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