שְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ אֶל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּךָ וְעַל־מַמְלָכוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּשִׁמְךָ לֹא קָרָאוּ. כִּי אָכַל אֶת־יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת־נָוֵהוּ הֵשַׁמּוּ. שְׁפָךְ־עֲלֵיהֶם זַעֲמֶךָ וַחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ יַשִּׂיגֵם. תִּרְדֹף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי ה'.
Pour your wrath upon the nations that did not know You and upon the kingdoms that did not call upon Your Name! Since they have consumed Ya'akov and laid waste his habitation (Psalms 79:6-7). Pour out Your fury upon them and the fierceness of Your anger shall reach them (Psalms 69:25)! You shall pursue them with anger and eradicate them from under the skies of the Lord (Lamentations 3:66).
וְכַמָּה זַעְמוֹ — רֶגַע. וְכַמָּה רֶגַע? אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי אֲבִינָא: רֶגַע כְּמֵימְרֵיהּ.
And how long does His anger last? God’s anger lasts a moment. And how long is a moment? Rabbi Avin, and some say Rabbi Avina, said: A moment lasts as long as it takes to say it [rega].
וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יְהֹוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed: “The LORD! the LORD!-a a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness,
ט֤וֹב אֶ֣רֶךְ אַ֭פַּיִם מִגִּבּ֑וֹר וּמֹשֵׁ֥ל בְּ֝רוּח֗וֹ מִלֹּכֵ֥ד עִֽיר׃
Better to be slow to anger than mighty,
To have self-control than to conquer a city.
אָסוּר לָאָדָם לִהְיוֹת אַכְזָרִי וְלֹא יִתְפַּיֵּס אֶלָּא יְהֵא נוֹחַ לִרְצוֹת וְקָשֶׁה לִכְעֹס וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁמְּבַקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ הַחוֹטֵא לִמְחל מוֹחֵל בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם וּבְנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ הֵצֵר לוֹ וְחָטָא לוֹ הַרְבֵּה לֹא יִקֹּם וְלֹא יִטֹּר. וְזֶהוּ דַּרְכָּם שֶׁל זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִבָּם הַנָּכוֹן. אֲבָל הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים עַרְלֵי לֵב אֵינָן כֵּן אֶלָּא (וְעֶבְרָתָן) [וְעֶבְרָתוֹ] שְׁמָרָה נֶצַח. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר עַל הַגִּבְעוֹנִים לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא מָחֲלוּ וְלֹא נִתְפַּיְּסוּ וְהַגִּבְעֹנִים לֹא מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵמָּה:
It is not lawful for a man to be cruel and inexorable; he should be easily moved to reconciliation, and with difficulty moved to anger; so that when the man who offended him entreats his pardon, he should forgive with a perfect heart and benevolent mind. Even though the other have seriously oppressed or offended him, still he ought not to avenge himself, nor to bear a grudge; this forbearance being the characteristic of the benevolence of mind in the seed of Israel; but with regard to idolators who are of uncircumcised hearts, these are not so, but they keep their wrath for ever; and so it is said with regard to the Gibeonites, in consequence of their not having forgiven and of their having shown themselves unrelenting: Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, (II Sam. 21. 2).
הָאוֹהֵב וְהַשּׂוֹנֵא. אוֹהֵב, זֶה שׁוּשְׁבִינוֹ. שׂוֹנֵא, כָּל שֶׁלֹּא דִבֶּר עִמּוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים בְּאֵיבָה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא נֶחְשְׁדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל כָּךְ:
A friend or an enemy [is disqualified from being a witness or judge]. “A friend”: this is one’s groomsman. “An enemy”: anyone whom he has not spoken to in three days because of anger. They replied: “Israelites are not suspected of such.”
לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃
You shall not take revenge [e.g., "You did not lend me; I will not lend you!"], and you shall not bear a grudge against the children of your people [e.g.. "I am not like you who did not lend me; I shall lend you!"]. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. [(R. Akiva said: This is an all-embracing principle in Torah)]; I am the L-rd.
יִשְׂמַ֣ח צַ֭דִּיק כִּי־חָזָ֣ה נָקָ֑ם פְּעָמָ֥יו יִ֝רְחַ֗ץ בְּדַ֣ם הָרָשָֽׁע׃
The righteous man will rejoice when he sees revenge;
he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
אִם תִּרְצֶה לְהִנָּקֵם מֵאוֹיְבֶךָ. תּוֹסִיף מַעֲלוֹת טוֹבוֹת וְתֵלֵךְ בְּדַרְכֵי יְשָׁרִים, וּבָזֶה מִמֵּילָא תִּנָּקֵם מִשּׂוֹנְאֶיךָ, כִּי הוּא יִצְטַעֵר עַל מִדּוֹתֶיךָ, וְיִתְאַבֵּל בְּשָׁמְעוֹ שִׁמְךָ הַטּוֹב. אֲבָל אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה מַעֲשִׂים מְכֹעָרִים, אָז יִשְׂמַח שׂוֹנְאֲךָ עַל קְלוֹנְךָ וְחֶרְפָּתְךָ, וְהִנֵּה הוּא מִתְנַקֵּם בָּךְ.
If you [really] want to take revenge against your enemy, acquire more good qualities and walk in the path of righteousness. In so doing you will inevitably take vengeance against your enemy for he will be distressed over your good qualities, and he will be grieved over your good reputation. But if you [stoop to] do vile deeds, then your enemy will rejoice over your disgrace and your shame, and he is the one who takes revenge against you.