It is a verse in the 24^th chapter of Mishlei.  In the falling (death) of your enemy – do not rejoice.  And the concept discussed in the verse is being examined throughout the world – from the Huffington Post to internal presidential cabinet discussions.

AP News reports, for example, that a certain Hyojin Jenny Hwang wrote on Facebook that she was saddened by the sight of young Americans like herself jubilantly cheering Osama bin Laden’s death, the angry response was swift, even from friends.

“One friend told me she felt judged for feeling happy,” said the 30-year-old mother from New Jersey. “And another one simply unfriended me on Facebook.”

From a Torah perspective the question arises:  Osama Bin Ladin, the murderer of 3000 Americans, is dead.  How exuberant should we be?

We must also keep in mind another seemingly contradictory earlier verse then the one mentioned in Chapter 24 of Mishlei.  It was also written by Shlomo HaMelech – “In the death of evil-doers – exhuberance! (Mishlei 11:10).  How are these two verses to be understood together?

The Ralbag in interpreting the juxtaposition of the 17^th verse in chapter 24 with the next one – verse eighteen, writes that inappropriate rejoicing over the matter will lead to G-d removing His Divine anger against that enemy and placing it upon you.  Indeed the Alshich in Esther (5:3) writes that this is why Esther wished to make Haman rejoice at the party, so that the Divine Will be turned against the evil Haman on account of his rejoicing at the fall of Israel.  Seemingly, appropriate rejoicing, where one is on the correct spiritual level, is the one indicated in Chapter eleven.

But what exactly is the correct spiritual level?

The Maharsha in Megillah 28a understands the verse in Chapter 24 as referring to someone who is rejoicing because of his feeling of hate toward his enemy.  Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avos 4:19 writes that that the high level in which rejoicing is permitted is if one does so in celebration of the Kavod Shamayaim – of the honor due to G-d at the fall of this evil-doer.  This may be very much in line with our Ralbag.

The Alshich (Tehillim 5:11) qualifies the verse in Mishlei to refer only to a personal enemy, but one whose evil is so much against G-d – the opposite feeling is in order – one should, in fact, rejoice.  Thus the Chapter eleven verse refers to one who is so evil in the eyes of G-d.  The Alshich does not distinguish between our own levels, but rather the type of enemy that the verse refer to.

The Meshech Chochma (Shmos 12:16) writes that upright individuals do not rejoice at the death of others as do, say, some of the other nations.  This seems to be across the board.  Thus, on Passover, we celebrate the freedom of the Jewish people and not the fact that G-d punished the Egyptians.  Similarly, on Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of the oil lasting and not the fall of the Syrian Greeks.  It would seem that the Meshech Chochma is not in agreement with the aforementioned Alshich in Tehillim.

The Gerrer Rebbe on Sukkos 5658 also expressed this thought.  He explained that even though Yom Tov’s must all have Simcha, the word is used only regarding Sukkos and not Pesach.  Why?  The death of the Egyptians that occurred on Pesach caused the use of the word “Simcha” in regard to Pesach as not appropriate.

The Yalkut Shimoni (Mishlei 960) also points out that we do not recite a full Hallel on Pesach except for the first day because of the notion of not overly rejoicing over the deaths of enemies.  Also, the Midrash points out, that Noah refrained from marital intimacy during the time that the evildoers in the world were being destroyed on account of the notion of the verse in chapter 24.  Seemingly, this Midrash is not in accordance with the distinctions made by the Alshich and the Ralbag.

It may also be suggested that the notion was perhaps not necessarily universally adhered to by all of Israel.  How so? In Pirkei Avos (4:19) Shmuel HaKatan says almost the exact same thing as King Solomon did in Mishlei.  The Rambam and the Bartenura point this out but remark that Shmuel actually utilized and taught this approach.  The fact that the Mishna singles Shmuel HaKatan out for this indicates that it may not necessarily have been kept so universally.  In fact, it could be that King David himself, the father of King Shlomo may have erred in his reciting of joyful song at the fall of Kush Ben Yemini, as pointed out in Midrash Tehillim (7).

The conclusion?  It seems that the words of Rebbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avos that if one rejoices at the Kavod Shamayim – the honor that finally justice has been accomplished with the knowledge that the honor of Heaven has been further enhanced and uplifted with this man’s death – then one may rejoice, but nonetheless, it should still be tempered.  We do recite Hallel on Pesach, but not a full one.  One should make sure that the feeling not come from an improper emotion.  One may also take pride in the fact that one was the tool for which the honor of Heaven was uplifted. So, we ask all readers to join in this thought, with the proper intentions, “Go USA!”

The author may be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.com