The Edges of Anger

יהוה, incensed at Israel, made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until the whole generation that had provoked יהוה’s displeasure was gone.

וינעם means, AND HE MOVED THEM ABOUT; the word is of the same root as נע in (Genesis 4:12) “a wanderer (נע) and a vagabond”.

Even though anger is a very bad quality, nevertheless, a man should conduct himself at times with the quality of anger. For example, when he rebukes the wicked, and when he desires to cause a spirit of awe and respect to dwell on the members of his household, and when he wants to obtain respect and even fear from his pupils. Even he who is angry with the wicked, must weigh the extent of his anger, for Moses, our teacher, upon whom is peace, said when he spoke wrathfully against Reuben and Gad : "A breed of sinful men" (Num. 32:14). And, therefore, we find that his descendant (the Levite mentioned in Judges 18:30) became a priest to idols, and this even though Moses was angry because he strove for the glory of God. Everything requires a proper measure in all a man's ways. A man should speak carefully how to do the commandments, whether he rebukes out of anger or rebukes joyously.

But if the killer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled, and the blood-avenger comes upon him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the blood-avenger kills the killer, there is no bloodguilt on his account.

But if the killer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled, and the blood-avenger comes upon him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the blood-avenger kills the killer, there is no bloodguilt on his account.

(3) And, yet, there are certain tendencies which man is forbidden to follow in the middle-way, but must distance himself from extreme to extreme....

So is anger an extremely evil tendency and it is proper for man to remove himself from it to the other extreme. One should teach himself not to get angry, even over a matter which befits anger. If one desires to engender awe in his children and his household, or in the public, if he be at the head of a community, even if he desire to get angry at them so as to bring them back to the good way, he should only act angry in their presence so as to reprove them, but his disposition must remain calm within himself, even as a man imitates, who is angry when the time calls forth anger but in reality he is not angry. The sages of yore said: "He who yields to anger is as if he worshiped idolatry".¹See Nedarim, 22b. G. They also said: "Whosoever yields to anger, if he be a wise man his wisdom leaves him, and if he be a prophet his prophecy leaves him."²Pesahim, 66b. C. Verily the life of irritable persons is no life.³Pesahim, 113a. C. They have, therefore, commanded to be afar from anger, so that one will train himself not to mind even the things which do cause irritation, for such is the good way. The conduct of the just is to take insults but not give insults, hear themselves flouted but make no reply, do their duty as a work of love, and bear affliction cheerfully. Concerning them the Verse says: "But may those that love Him be as the rising of the sun in his might" (Judg. 5.31).