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When mentioning the names of victims of terror or murder, some folks use the suffix, “Hashem yikom damam.” (roughly translated into: “Hashem should avenge their blood”)
I am all for justice. However, revenge is not justice.
Does anybody else feel that we should change phrase to something more in line with our values? Any suggestions?
Sorry. So sorry. HaShem as we know his is ?? ????? ?. Actually the gemarah states (somewhere) that ???? (true nekamah) is so great, that it’s stated between two names of HaShem.
Maybe we should change our “values” to be in line with the Torah’s.
We don’t take nekama, but we do ask Hashem to.
1. The phrase is normally used after the name of someone who was murdered. It expresses the confidence that He-Shem will take care of the matter. Note that there is no “should” in Hebrew, so it really should be translated as “Ha-Shem WILL avenge his/her blood” – as a statement rather than a request.
2. When used after someone killed by someone not universally considered to have been our enemy (e.g. Jacob Israel De Haan, murdered by an IDF precursor in 1924), it becomes is a very loaded political statement.
As stated by DaasYochid, it’s not our place to exact vengence – but it is our place to request that G-d do so. This is further seen in Av HaRachamim, the Tefila said on Shabbos before Musaf – we pray that G-d avenge those who were killed sanctifying his name.
A final point – we also ask that we merit seeing G-d exacting such vengence. So no, we don’t seek revenge on our own, but we do ask that we merit seeing those who attack us receive justice.
an Israeli Yid
the way i always looked at it was nekama in concept isnt wrong but against yid its wrong because you wont take nekama on yourself and you and him are one
but i have no clue if thats true or not
oyyoyyoy – If Nekama is not wrong, then why, in Av haRachamim, do we only ask HKBH to take Nekama on those who persecuted Klal Yisrael? Those we’re referring to are not Jews. It therefore seems that Nekama as such is not for mankind, absent a specific command from G-d (such as in the case of Midyan and Amalek).
That is not to say that Nekama for the sake of creating deterrence is wrong, of course – that is part of protecting lives. It’s only Nekama for the sake of Nekama that is best left to G-d.
an Israeli Yid
Goofus:- You tragically probably never met Rav Avigdor Miller ZT’L, and if you had, you wouldn’t have launched this coffee room topic. Especially today on this 24th Johrzeit of Rav Meir Kahane HY’D, why should a murderer walk the face of this planet when the slain victim cannot walk the face of this earth?
How about you Goofus helping Mike Bloomberg in his bid to eradicate all guns from the United States of America.
Let’s try again.
As others stated, revenge against another Jew is forbidden, one has to know and realize the one really behind the slap, and as oyyoyyoy (veyyeyyey) stated, all Jews have one shoresh and the right hand will not fight the left..
However, there’s a real concept of nekamah, slain persons’ souls have no true rest until exact revenge is meted out against his assailant. That is one reason the Torah metes our the death penalty for murders, as a solace for the victim (and family).
We are not a religion of instant pardons, absolution, poo poo etc. (never been to there..). There’s an exactitude up there not paralleled elsewhere.. ?? ????? ???”? ????? ..
We truly await the day to see the true revenge of HaShem..
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