I would like to say today a few words on “vengeance in Judaism.”
The subject has been touched upon in a recent issue of this paper and is of more than theoretical importance in this one generation when so much of Jewish blood had remained unavenged.
Far be it from me even to attempt to argue about the place of vengeance in Judaism. The prosecution and punishment of murderers by legal course and in the absence of such, by any other means available is elementary justice. It stands in no need of justification or apology.
I would rather try to describe how Jewish communities of old in Europe: how our fathers who had been segregated in Ghettos and had been discriminated against in many ways, had avenged the blood of their murdered brothers.
More than three hundred years ago an inquiry was addressed to Rabbi Menahem Mendel Krochmal, rabbi of Nikolsburg in Moravia.
A Jew was murdered. Are his relations obligated to avenge his blood? And if this be the case, does this duty devolve upon close relations only, or even on those distantly related to him? Further: If for the vengeance of the murdered, expenses would have to be incurred, may one force his relations to make this expense? And if that be the case, how large is the sum one may demand from the relatives to spend in the pursuit of their duty?
And thus was the answer of the rabbi, one of the very great in his generation. It is recorded in his response “Zemah Zedek”, open to everyone who has eyes to read:
There should be no doubt that his relations are duty-bound to avenge his blood. And if there be no close relations, then even the most distant ones are charged with this responsibility. There should also be no doubt as to the fact that the community may force the relatives to incur expense to accomplish their duty. However, one may force them to pay only the ordinary expenses, such as payments to the guards, to the judges and to the authorities. Any other expense, such as the paying of bribery and the like, one may not force upon them, as this would result in the relatives shirking their duty altogether.
Rabbi Menahem Krochmal concludes his answer with the following significant words:
Yet it would only be right that the additional expenses, such as the paying of bribery and the like to the authorities, should be paid by the entire community. Because if, G-d forbid, we will not execute vengeance on the murderer, the blood of our brothers would become Hefker. They will continue to murder us and the lives of all our wayfarers would be imperiled. Therefore, it is the duty of all to contribute.
Thus we have acted many times and we have agreed with the leaders of the generation (Parnase Hador) to appoint avengers to pursue the murderers. Even in cases where we knew for certain that we would not be able to execute vengeance on the murderers, nonetheless we appointed avengers to prosecute them in order that it might become known to all, that the blood of our brothers is not Hefker.
In most places in Europe were our fathers settled, they made agreements with local authorities, dukes and emperors to protect them against attacks from the populace. For this protection they paid in addition to other payments, special taxes. Yet in cases of individual murders, the relations of the murdered and the community leaders had to make special efforts to apprehend the murderer and to induce the authorities to punish him. In this practice, which Rabbi Krochmal refers to and which he stresses and upholds in the above quoted lines.
Since I had read these lines many years ago, and at the time I was active in that Jewish organization which had written the vengeance of Jewish blood and the liberation of our people and country on its banner, I have searched many a book for traces of the above mentioned vengeance actions by our communities.
The recently deceased Isaia Sonne published in his collection of studies on Italian Jewry (Mipavlo Harevii Ad Piyus Hashamishi, Jerusalem 1954, p. 173) the following entries, he had found in the minutes-book of the Jewish community of Verona.
19th of Kislev 5300 (1559): The leaders decided to deliver to the Duke the letter regarding the murderer, which Isaac Bash had brought from Venice. Twenty Seudi or more may be borrowed from the charity monies. May G-d inflict vengeance on his enemies and avenge the blood of his servants.
18th of Sivan 5301 (1541): The three persons who had been appointed in connection with the murder of Moshe ben Israel Shemarya took 333 Litra from the charity money in order to avenge the spilt blood.
7th of Tammuz 5302 (1542): It was decided to collect money to avenge the blood of Moshe Conian who had been killed here in Verona.
Thus speak the records. They tell of faithful Jewish community leaders who spared no effort to bring to justice, with the aid of the authorities, the murderers of members of their community.
Only few Jewish community books have thus far been published. Those which have been preserved and are still in manuscript may contain much material on the subject of actions of vengeance.
Tovia Preschel
Jewish Press
March 3, 1961