The vengeance of Israel in the generation that is completely liable is like the vengeance of Israel against the supporters of Haman

Reprint of a Sun, 17 July 2022 = 18th of Tamuz, 5782 post in light of current events

Talmud, Sanhedrin 97b -98a

Rav says: All the ends of days that were calculated passed, and the matter depends only upon repentance and good deeds. When the Jewish people repent, they will be redeemed. And Shmuel says: It is sufficient for the mourner to endure in his mourning to bring about the coming of the Messiah. Even without repentance, they will be worthy of redemption due to the suffering they endured during the exile. The Gemara notes: This dispute is parallel to a dispute between tanna’im: Rabbi Eliezer says: If the Jewish people repent they are redeemed, and if not they are not redeemed. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: If they do not repent, will they not be redeemed at all? Rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will establish a king for them whose decrees are as harsh as those issued by Haman, and the Jewish people will have no choice but to repent, and this will restore them to the right path.

It is taught in another baraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: If the Jewish people repent they are redeemed, as it is stated: “Return, wayward children, I will heal your iniquities” (Jeremiah 3:22). Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “So says the Lord: You were sold for naught, and without money you shall be redeemed” (Isaiah 52:3)? Rabbi Yehoshua explains: “You were sold for naught” means you were sold for idol worship, which is a sin with no basis. “And without money you shall be redeemed” means you will be redeemed not through repentance and good deeds, but through the will of God.

Rabbi Eliezer said to Rabbi Yehoshua: But isn’t it already stated: “Return to me and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7)? Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “For I have taken you to Myself; and I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion” (Jeremiah 3:14), unconditionally?

Rabbi Eliezer said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “In ease [beshuva] and rest shall you be saved” (Isaiah 30:15), indicating that redemption is dependent upon repentance [teshuva]? Rabbi Yehoshua said to Rabbi Eliezer: But isn’t it already stated: “So says the Lord, Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him who is despised of man, to him who is abhorred of the nation, to a servant of rulers:

Kings shall see and arise, princes shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, Who is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, Who has chosen you” (Isaiah 49:7), indicating that redemption will come independent of repentance?

Rabbi Eliezer said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “If you will return, Israel, says the Lord, return to Me” (Jeremiah 4:1), indicating that redemption is contingent upon repentance?

In the end Rabbi Yehoshua brings a proof that silences, Rabbi Eliezer

Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by the One Who lives forever that it shall be for a period, periods, and a half; when the crushing of the power of the holy people shall have been completed, all these things shall be finished” (Daniel 12:7), indicating that the time for redemption is set and unrelated to repentance? And Rabbi Eliezer was silent, unable to refute the proof from that verse.

Rashi’s commentary to Sanhedrin 97b

With Repentance. If all Israel return with repentance it will come, if not it will not come.

It is sufficient for the mourner to endure in his mourning.  It is sufficient for the Holy One Blessed be He, who stands several days and his right hand is set behind, that is to say, if they do not repent, he does not endure in his mourning for all days, rather, there definitely is an end to the matter; another interpretation: It is sufficient for the mourner – it is sufficient for Israel the pain of the exile, even without repentance, they are redeemed.

Without money – without repentance and good deeds, that even if they do not repent – they are redeemed, for it was stated  – you were sold for naught, read money as a connotation for repentance.

I have taken you to Myself – the implication is against your will, without repentance.

One from a city – I will sort out the righteous and bring them to Zion, even though not all of them return.

Thus says Hashem To him who is despised of man, to him who is abhorred of the nation  – Those that are despised and abhorred with transgressions, even so, they will be redeemed, kings shall see and arise.

Rashi’s commentary to Sanhedrin 98a

For a period, periods – If so there is an end to the matter.

When the crushing power of the holy people shall be completed – When their power of resistance and the strength of their hand will end … and after their might ends that they will be extremely debased.

All these will end – these troubles and Messiah will come, as we have stated concerning, (Deut. 32:36): “that power has vanished”.

Yerushalmi, Tractate Taanit, Chapter 1 Has a Different Version of the Dispute Between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua

Rabbi Lezer {=Eliezer} says, if Israel does not repent, they will never be redeemed, for it is stated [Yishayahu / Isaiah 30:15] with Shuva (he seems to link, the word Shuva, with the Hebrew word, Teshuva, repentance) and tranquility (alt. translation, rest) you will be saved. Rabbi Yehoshua responded, “Could it be that if Israel endures but does not repent, they will never be redeemed?” Rabbi Eliezer answered, “The Holy One Blessed be He, raises up against them a king as hard as Haman and immediately they repent and are redeemed. Why is this so? On account of the verse, “It is a time of trouble for Yaakov (Jacob) and from it he shall be saved”[Yirmiyahu / Jeremiah 30:7]…

Whereupon when Rabbi Yehoshua said back to him the verse [Daniel 12:7] “And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by the One Who lives forever that it shall be for a period, periods, and a half; when the crushing of the power of the holy people shall have been completed, all these things shall be finished”. Rabbi Eliezer departed {the debate}.

Rabbi Yochanan also agrees with Rabbi Yehoshua’s Viewpoint and Contends the Son of David Will Come in a Generation that is Completely Worthy or Completely Liable – Sanhedrin page 98a

For the sake of convenience, I will use the Sefaria.org translation, with a small exception of substituting their use of the words innocent and guilty with the words, worthy and liable.

And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The son of David will come only in a generation that is entirely worthy, in which case they will be deserving of redemption, or in a generation that is entirely liable, in which case there will be no alternative to redemption. He may come in a generation that is entirely worthy, as it is written: “And your people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever” (Isaiah 60:21). He may come in a generation that is entirely liable, as it is written: “And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no intercessor; therefore His arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness, it sustained Him” (Isaiah 59:16). And it is written: “For My own sake, for My own sake will I do it; for how should it be profaned? And My glory I will not give it to another” (Isaiah 48:11).

I have already explained based on the Vilna Gaon, on the basis of what “are they completely liable to extinction”.

(see: https://vilnagaon.org/messiah-coming/ for details.)

Here I will present the remedy for the generation that is completely liable (to extinction) on the basis of Yishayahu / Isaiah chapter 59, that contains the verse which teaches us about redemption arriving in the generation that is completely liable (to extinction).

16 And He saw that there was no man, and He was astounded for there was no intercessor, and His arm saved for Him, and His righteousness, that supported Him.

17 And He donned righteousness like a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation is upon His head, and He donned garments of vengeance as His attire, and He was clad with zeal as a cloak.

18 According to their deeds, accordingly He shall repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; to the islands He shall pay recompense.

Source for this translation of Yishayahu / Isaiah: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15990

Will the Holy One Blessed be He Take Vengeance Alone? Maharsha understood by combining the words of Rabbi Yehoshua in the Talmud Bavli together with  Rabbi Yochanan’s commentary to Yishayahu / Isaiah Chapter 59, that We Are Dealing with Vengeance of People, Similar to the Vengeance of the Jews Against the Supporters of Haman, Celebrated on Purim:

Maharsha, Chidushei Agadot, tractate Sanhedrin 98a:

And he said, the son of David only comes either in a generation entirely worthy, etc.  There is to explain his words in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua, and as it was written previously, if Israel voluntarily repents, they are redeemed, and if not the Holy One Blessed be He establishes a king like Haman against them that forces them to repent and they are redeemed through it, and this is the intent of “either in a generation completely worthy”, that is to say voluntary repentance, as it is written, “and your nation is entirely righteous”, etc. or in a generation that is entirely liable, that he establishes against them a king like Haman and by means of this, they will repent and be redeemed, as it is written, “And He saw that there was no man”, etc. and the end of the verse states, “and His arm saved for Him”, etc. and similarly that which was stated, ‘if they merit, I will speed it up”, etc. that is to say they merited to do voluntary repentance, I (the Holy One Blessed be He) will speed it up, if they don’t merit, that is to say, they will not repent voluntarily, it will happen in its fixed time, that he will establish at the time of the redemption a king like Haman against them and by means of this they will repent, and so too will you explain the statement, if they merit, it will be with the cloud of heaven, etc. that is to say that they merited to do voluntary repentance, and this is easy to comprehend.

The Maccabee Commentary (which received the endorsement of the Rishon Letzion, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu) understood “that which will cause the decision (By G-d) to redeem Israel in the future is not on account of their merits, but rather in order to sanctify His Name that was desecrated among the Gentiles, and the sanctification of G-d’s name will come about by means of a victory of vengeance and zeal for his desecrated name.

In the Maccabee commentary to Shmot / Exodus chapter 2 in the section covering verses 18 to the end, it is also implied that the vengeance will come with the assistance of the sons of man, and here is a translated quotation:

Know, that even though and “he saw” here is indicating seeing sparks of repentance, of waiting for Hashem and trust in him {comment: The intent is to Shmot / Exodus 2:25: “And the L-rd saw the children of Israel and the L-rd knew.”} nevertheless it also hints on the seeing of Hashem, that he would see even without this, even if there wasn’t any repentance, seeing, that would be awakened by inhumane suffering, which is sufficient to bring about the speeding up of the end time (however, accompanied by sufferings  and tragedies), in order to sanctify His Desecrated Name. Thus said Yishayahu / Isaiah 59:15-17 “and Hashem saw and was displeased for there is no justice; And He saw that there was no man … and His arm saved for Him … And He donned righteousness like a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation is upon His head, and He donned garments of vengeance as His attire, and He was clad with zeal as a cloak. And Rashi’s commentary there (v.16): And now, when He laments of the evil to His people, He sees that there is no righteous man to stand in the breach… and His arm saved for Him: and He will take revenge from His enemies… and even though we are not fitting to be saved”. And the reason he will don garments of war and vengeance is account that what will make him to decide to redeem Israel in the future is not based on their merits, but rather to sanctify his name that is desecrated among the Gentiles, and the sanctification of the name will come through a victory of vengeance and zeal for his desecrated name.

It is important to note that in the days of Mordechai and Esther the Jews received explicit permission from the king to take revenge.

Esther 8:11, 12

“that the king had granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, and to slay, and to cause to perish, all the forces of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and plunder their possessions, upon one day in all the provinces of King Achashverosh, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar”.

One should not rely on the elites in the generation that is entirely liable, without explicit permission, as it is written in Yishayahu / Isaiah Ch. 59

For the sake of ease I will use the translation of Sefaria.org of the chapter:

For your hands are defiled with crime and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips speak falsehood, your tongue utters treachery.

No one sues justly or pleads honestly; they rely on emptiness and speak falsehood, Conceiving wrong and begetting evil.

They hatch adder’s eggs and weave spider webs; He who eats of those eggs will die, and if one is crushed, it hatches out a viper.

Their webs will not serve as a garment, what they make cannot serve as clothing; Their deeds are deeds of mischief, their hands commit lawless acts,

Their feet run after evil, they hasten to shed the blood of the innocent. Their plans are plans of mischief, Destructiveness and injury are on their roads.

They do not care for the way of integrity, there is no justice on their paths. They make their courses crooked, No one who walks in them cares for integrity.

“That is why redress is far from us, and vindication does not reach us. We hope for light, and lo! There is darkness; For a gleam, and we must walk in gloom.

We grope, like blind men along a wall; Like those without eyes we grope. We stumble at noon, as if in darkness; Among the sturdy, we are like the dead.

We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for redress, and there is none; for victory, and it is far from us.

For our many sins are before You, Our guilt testifies against us. We are aware of our sins, and we know well our iniquities:

Rebellion, faithlessness to the LORD, And turning away from our God, Planning fraud and treachery, Conceiving lies and uttering them with the throat.

And so redress is turned back and vindication stays afar, Because honesty stumbles in the public square and uprightness cannot enter.

Honesty has been lacking, He who turns away from evil is despoiled…”

The Vilna Gaon according to Kol Hator Chapter 5, suggested a “middle path” between the “completely  worthy” and “completely liable” redemption scenarios. For those that wish to research the middle path scenario, see all the links in the post:

Rabbi Weinberger: The Link Between the Book of Yehoshua & Mashiach Ben Yosef

 

One friend brings another. This blog post is located at https://vilnagaon.org/vengeance/

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