[Avodah] Redemption

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

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?

Yes, it's what the victim's blood needs and deserves, and the victim is 
unable to provide it for himself, so as the closest relative it's his 
duty to provide it for him.

The idea that revenge is not a legitimate or worthy goal is not Jewish. 
The Xian despises Shylock for demanding his revenge, but we believe 
otherwise.  "Kol d'mei achicha tzo`akim elai min ha'adamah".  For what 
are they shouting?  For revenge.  Ya`akov Avinu woke up from death to 
enjoy his revenge on Eisav.  And every time we mention a murdered person 
we say HYD, because Kel Nekamos Hashem.

We are commanded to love our fellow Yidden so much that we forgive them 
and *forgo* our natural and just desire for revenge, just as we would 
do of our own accord for someone we actually loved without being 
commanded.  Even the neshama of a murder victim is expected to forgive 
his Jewish killer, and Navos was punished for not doing so.  But we 
can't forgive on someone else's behalf, especially on our father's 
behalf, or assume he's such a tzadik that he must have forgiven his 
killer.

-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
zev at sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all