In the wake of the elimination of Sinwar: Can Jews celebrate the death of our enemies?
Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 massacres and the current head of Hamas, was eliminated on the holiday of Sukkot, described as z’man simchateinu (the time of our joy), raising the question of whether it is appropriate or even permitted in Jewish law to celebrate the death of our enemies. The elimination of Sinwar raises the question of whether Jewish law permits us to celebrate the death of evil men or our enemies.
Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant noted that eliminating Sinwar was a Biblical imperative, tweeting a verse in Leviticus:
You shall give chase to your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Leviticus 26:7
The answer seems explicit in Proverbs:
If your enemy falls, do not exult; If he trips, let your heart not rejoice, Proverbs 24:17
The Talmud explains that Proverbs is referring to the downfall of a fellow Jew, in which case we should pray that he repents ((Megillah 16a, Berachot 10a)
The elimination of Sinwar was also included in King David’s injunction, “O you who love Hashem, hate evil! He guards the lives of His loyal ones, saving them from the hand of the wicked,” (Psalms 97:10).
The Talmud (Megillah 16a, Pesachim 117a) teaches that it is “natural” and even godly to rejoice when our enemies are defeated, and we must even sing songs of thanks to God when they are overcome.
However, the midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Divrei HaYamim) recounts that God rebukes the angels for singing at the downfall of the Egyptian enemies after the splitting of the sea.
“My handiwork is drowning in the sea and you are singing songs?!” (Sanhedrin 39b)
However, this rebuke is saved for the angels, hinting that it is natural and permitted for Man.
Hizkiya was even punished for not singing praise after Sanherev’s defeat (ibid), and so was Devora (Judges 5).
While several Jewish holidays, like Hanukkah and Purim, are based on the downfall of our enemies, the Biblical holidays are not. Even Passover celebrates the redemption of the Jewish people without glorifying the suffering and destruction of the Egyptians. While Hanukkah seems to celebrate the downfall of the Greeks, it is a celebration of Jewish independence in our land and the dedication of the Temple.
Purim is not a celebration of the Jewish slaughter of our enemies. Purim is celebrated not on the day of the victorious battle but on the day after when we “rested” and celebrated (Esther 9:20-22).
Perhaps the answer was best summed up by Israel advocate Hillel Fuld, who tweeted, “When evil is eradicated, we celebrate. And remember point one. There is no equating their celebrations when innocent people die and our celebrations when terrorists die. If you don’t see the difference, well, keep searching for your moral compass.”
Rabbi Tuly Weisz, the head of Israel 365, noted that despite being a time of joy, Sukkoth was an auspicious day for celebrating the downfall of Israel’s enemies.
“51 years ago, our evil enemies attacked us on the holy day of Yom Kippur,” Rabbi Weisz said. “Everything turned around for the Jewish people on the holiday of Sukkot. Sukkot is referred to in the Torah as z’man simchateinu, or the time of our happiness. Once again on Sukkot, all of Israel is rejoicing at the downfall of the wicked Sinwar.”
Rabbi Eli Mischel, the educational director of Israel365, was unequivocal.
“A healthy nation celebrates the destruction of evil,” Rabbi Mischel said. “When we heard the news, I danced with my children!”
Rabbi Mischel suggested that Sinwar’s death was the manifestation of a verse in Deuteronomy.
O nations, acclaim His people! For He’ll avenge the blood of His servants, Wreak vengeance on His foes, And cleanse the land of His people. Deuteronomy 32:43
Indeed, Hamas, Hezbollah, and their “useful idiot” supporters in the West began celebrating on Oct.7, openly displaying a lust for Jewish blood. There have been no corresponding celebrations in Israel cheering the death of Palestinians. Instead, the national focus has been on the return of the hostages.
It is nice to note that some rabbis have commented that the new Hebrew year is 5785, denoted by the Hebrew letters תשפ”ה, which they interpret to be an acronym for תיהיה שנה פידיון השבויים (This will be the year of the redemption of the captives).
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