[Avodah] Translation of Makkos / Binfol oyivcha al tismach

[H Lampel]

Revisiting an issue that comes up repeatedly--do classical sources 
support the approach that we should feel sorrow for / not rejoice over, 
the suffering of our persecuting enemies.

Yeshayahu (15:5) declares, “My heart cries out” over the destruction of 
Israel’s wicked enemy, Moab.

TargumYonason (and Radak and Metsudos) take this as the prophet quoting 
the enemy.

But Rashi takes it as the prophet expressing his own heart’s thoughts, 
and he writes, “The prophets of Israel are unlike the prophets of the 
umos ha-olom. Bilaam sought to uproot Israel for no reason. But the 
prophets of Israel [who had good cause to wish for their persecutors’ 
destruction, nevertheless] mourn over the punishments coming upon the 
nations (miss-o-ninnim al pur-annos ha-ba-ah al ha-umos).’’

(Artscroll cites both explanations, but adds a commentary by ''Sod 
Yesharim (I could not find it on HebrewBooks.org) who, like Rashi, takes 
the prophet to be referring to his own grief, but contra Rashi declares, 
''The prophet had no cause to grieve over the downfall of the wicked 
nation of Moab, or of other unworthy nations. However, every nation had 
its own type of impurity that tempted the righteous and was a challenge 
that they had to overcome. When they did so successfully, they grew in 
stature. Now, with the demise of Moab, that particular challenge 
disappeared, and with it the potential for growth.)

Also, I did have occasion to directly ask Rav Dovid Feinstein what he 
meant in the Kol Dodi Hagadah by ''shofchim l'eebud ha-makos and we 
don't drink them.'' Did he mean we pour out the wine out of sympathy for 
the Egyptians' suffering the makkos (as I had translated it), or did he 
mean that after taking the drops of wine out of the cups, we throw them 
(the drops of wine representing the makkos) out as waste, rather than 
drinking them (as R. Zev Sero insisted). And how that relates to the 
issue of ''al tismach.''

Sorry, but he did not commit to either way, comfortable with both 
approaches towards rejoicing over the downfall of Israel's enemies.

Nevertheless, by my request, the next printing of the Kol Dodi Haggadah 
should have the translation changed to R. Zev's.

Zvi Lampel
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