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Should
We Celebrate
An Enemy’s Demise?

Parshat Beshalach: Exodus 13:17-17:16:
Judges 4:4-5:31.

A

few years ago when Osama
instinct to express elation at the undoing
bin Laden was killed, most
of our enemies. Some people might be
Americans felt that justice had uncomfortable with this, but it can even
been served up to the mastermind behind be a healthy reaction, especially when it
the attacks of 9-11. Quite a few gleefully
gives voice to the kind of relief we feel
celebrated his demise on social media.
when liberated from an existential threat.
My Facebook feed was filled with peo-
That’s the kind of rejoicing described
ple rejoicing. But one dear friend averred, at the shores of the Red Sea. It’s what
commenting that she could not join in the New Yorkers and Londoners felt as they
expressions of happiness. She could never danced in jubilation on V-E Day.
celebrate the death of any human being.
Perhaps those who feel uncomfortable
This week’s portion tells the
with it are associating it with
story of the miraculous rescue
the more problematic feeling of
of the Israelites at the Red Sea.
schadenfreude, the pleasure we
After making it through on
experience in the misfortune of
dry land, they watched their
foes or even competitors. But are
persecutors drown as the waters
they really the same?
crashed down on them. Their
I believe that celebrat-
reaction was pure joy. First
ing the elimination of a real
Moses led them in song, and
enemy — one who has posed
Rabbi Jeffrey
then Miriam broke out the tim-
an existential risk — is not out
L. Falick
brel and the women all danced.
of place. Rejoicing in the suf-
A famous Talmudic midrash
fering of a business or personal
(Megillah 10b) tells us that the
foil is another matter altogether.
angels sought to join in but God rebuked
The first is a response to an averted
them for rejoicing in the death of human
catastrophe. The second is just another
beings.
unfortunate consequence of our evolved
Is the lesson here that people should
tribalism.
not celebrate their enemies’ downfall?
Evolutionary psychologists suggest that
Maybe. But the text does not condemn
both of these human reactions evolved
the Israelites themselves for it. Their song due to their survival advantages. Yet, as
is repeated in the traditional liturgy to
is the case with so many of our evolved
this day.
human tendencies, we have a responsibil-
If we’re looking to the Bible for guid-
ity to critically evaluate their appropriate-
ance on the issue, we’re out of luck. While ness for us today. It’s one thing to express
Proverbs offers this: “Do not rejoice when joy over the demise of Osama bin Laden.
your enemies fall, and do not let your
It’s quite another to revel in the misfor-
heart be glad when they stumble” (24:17), tunes of that guy who cheated you that
Psalms states: “The righteous will rejoice
time. Living with dignity requires us to
when they see vengeance done; they
know the difference.
will bathe their feet in the blood of the
Jeffrey L. Falick is the rabbi at the Birmingham
wicked” (58:10). It seems that the text is
Temple Congregation for Humanistic Judaism in
of two minds here.
Farmington Hills.
This vacillation reflects a natural

*

Conversations

• How did you react when you heard about Osama bin Laden’s death?
• Are there times when you think that rejoicing in the death of a major terrorist —
or even a Hitler — is justified?
• Are there situations that you think are less clear cut, crossing some line? Have
you encountered situations when you felt that celebrations about the downfall of
a foe were out of place?

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*A S OF 1-17-16

Sunday, January 31

from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
At The Corners, 2075 Walnut Lake Road, WB

Co-Chairs: Rebecca Bershad & Terri Cooper

Proudly supporting the efforts of:
I Am My Brother’s Keeper Ministries,
Young Adult Group of Temple Shir Shalom,
Shir Shalom Religious School Scholarships,
Team Alex & Make-A-Wish

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January 21 • 2016

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