Scatter our Enemies....

KUMAH ADONAI V’YAFUTSU OYVECHA, V’YANUSU M’SAHNECHA MEEPAHNECHA ….STOP O ETERNAL.  MAY YOUR ENEMIES BE SCATTERED, AND MAY THOSE WHO HATE YOU FLEE FROM BEFORE YOU. (Num. 10:35)

I am guessing that many of you recognize this phrase from its position within our Torah service which is sung prior to removing the Torah from the ark.  Often we chant these words without really thinking about their meaning or where they are to be found originally.   So, I’d like to take some time today to investigate some ideas related to this passage.

Interestingly enough, I had read that the Reform movement of Judaism had eliminated this phrase from their siddur, and when I checked on this I found it to be true.  They obviously felt uncomfortable mentioning scattering our enemies.

So for those of us who still have the original text in our siddur, we might ask how do we or should we relate to our enemies?  Is there a difference between expressing our strong feelings toward those who choose to hate and persecute us and acting on those feelings?  At Pesach, the haggadah has us open our doors prior to welcoming in Elijah the Prophet and we ask G-d to pour out His wrath on those who seek to destroy us.  The words are harsh, but part of an understanding that we hope G-d will not stand idly by when others try to destroy us. (We also know that self-defense in such a situation is totally permissible).

If one looks at the concept of forgiveness as it relates to one’s enemies, it is quite different between those who practice Christianity and those who follow Jewish tradition.  Judaism understands that all of humanity is given moral choices and that each individual will be judged on the basis of the choices and actions that one takes.  The world will be closer to redemption when individuals choose the right path to ethical living.  If an individual does not choose that path, making a choice to bring pain and suffering by committing vile acts, that individual is unworthy of our love (and G-d’s love as well) although Judaism believes that by changing one’s actions such an individual can once again become worthy of that love. We do believe in the ability to change, to do teshuvah and for forgiveness to be granted. For the Christian world, redemption of the world is not based on actions pursued by humans who make choices.  Redemption is promised even to those who commit vile acts as long as they accept the notion that they have a savior who loves all human beings no matter how they choose to act. Their hope is that when an individual accepts the idea of having a personal savior who loves them unconditionally, then their actions will change.

From a Jewish perspective, we are not asked to love someone whose goal is to bring harm or death to innocent individuals.  That individual wants to cause devastation.  Does that mean we should generalize what we know about that individual to an entire group without knowledge about their intents?  Absolutely not. Yet, we know that when we speak of an enemy of the Jewish people we do say that their name should be blotted out in the same way that we attempt to blot out Haman’s name on Purim and Amalek’s name always.

That being said, however, there is a hope within Judaism that an enemy could be turned into a friend.  That hope is expressed in Pirkei Avot when Rabbi Natan asks, “Who is strong?  Someone who turns an enemy into a friend.”  Such a statement is based on the understanding that even our enemies are human and capable of turning themselves around.  According to a story in the Talmud about Beruriah, the wife of Rabbi Meir, she scolded him for praying that his enemy should die.  Instead she told him to pray that his enemy should change his ways. (Berachot 10a)

 Our ultimate vision as a people is a world where those who pursue paths of evil will give up their ways and turn toward G-d, a time when corruption “and evil will give way to integrity and goodness.”  When that happens, perhaps we will no longer need to request that our enemies should be scattered. 

Shabbat Shalom.