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<b><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: bold;">Yoma</span><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><sup><font size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->]<!--[endif]--></span></span></font></sup></span><font
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(23a): </span></font></font></b><font
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Any scholar
who does not avenge himself and bear
grudge like a snake is not a real talmid chachom. But doesn’t the Torah
(Vayikra 19:18) prohibit bearing grudges or taking revenge? The answer
is that
the Torah prohibition only applies to monetary matters. Support for
this in
found in the following teaching. Prohibited revenge occurs when a
person asked
to borrow tools from a neighbor and was refused. If the neighbor then
asks to
borrow tools from him on another occasion and he refuses because he had
been
refused by the neighbor—that is revenge. Prohibited bearing of grudge
occurs
when a person asked to borrow tools from a neighbor and was refused. If
the
neighbor then asks to borrow tools from him on another occasion and he
responds: “I will lend it to you because I am not like you”—that is
bearing a
grudge. But doesn’t the prohibition also apply in cases of personal
insult as
it was taught: Those who have been insulted and yet do not insult in
revenge….they that love Him shall be as the sun in its might? That
refers to a
person who was insulted and yet does not respond—even though he still
bears
grudge. However Rava stated that whoever forgives those who insult him
has all
his sins forgiven? Rava is referring only to the case where the one who
insulted him has asked for and received forgiveness for the insult.
Therefore
the prohibition only applies to monetary matters</span></font>
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<p class="quote"
style="text-align: justify; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><font
face="Arial Narrow" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Minchas Chinuch</span><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><sup><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--></span></sup></span></font></b><b><span
style="font-weight: bold;">(241:1): Do not take revenge - </span></b><span
style="">Look at
the Rambam (Hilchos De’os 7:7). However in Yoma (23a) it explains that
this
prohibition only applies in monetary matters but not matters involving
bodily
pain there is no prohibition of not taking revenge or not being
spiteful. In
the case of bodily pain it is only an act of piety not to hold a
grudge. But
the Rambam and also the Chinuch omit mentioning of this distinction and
in fact
it appears that they hold that one transgresses the prohibitions in all
cases
and this is a contraction to the gemora. Also look at the Rambam
(Hilchos
Talmid Torah 7:13) where he states that a talmid chachom that has been
publicly
embarrassed should take revenge and hold a grudge. See also the Kesef
Mishna
and the Lechem Mishna. Nevertheless no one commits a sin for taking
revenge for
personal suffering. I found in the Semag (11-12) who states that for
personal
suffering one does not transgress the prohibition of revenge and that
this is
learned from Yoma (23a). Therefore the question remains why the Rambam
and the
Chinuch apparently rule contrary to the gemora.<br>
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style="text-align: justify; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><font
face="Arial Narrow" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Shabbos</span><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><sup><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><!--[endif]--></span></sup></span></font></b><b><span
style="font-weight: bold;">(63a): </span></b><span style="">Reish
Lakish said: Even if a talmid
chachom is vengeful and bears a grudge like a serpent – cling to him
because
[you will benefit from his learning – Rashi], in contrast even if an
ignorant
person is pious – do not dwell in his vicinity [because his piety is
faulty and
you end up learning from him – Rashi].<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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