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Section XIII. Chapter Ten: Vengeance.
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Others claimed the finest thing a person can pursue in the abode of this world is to take vengeance on his enemies. They said: vengeance removes grief that was upon the soul, releases distress that was within it, and delights it with what it sees of the enemy.
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It calms the intensity, removes excessive brooding, and prevents a second enemy from doing what the first did. Do you not see that the finest thing said to the faithful is: 'Behold, all who are incensed at you shall be ashamed and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish' (Isa. 41:11)?
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I examined all they said and found them in this case deceived. For all they described only affects the soul that way because it comes to the soul spontaneously, without the soul working for it at all.
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But when the soul falls into brooding and plotting against the enemy, it falls into the dark sea — and every moment new plans arise, one after another — as it says: 'They who devise wicked things in their heart; every day they stir up wars' (Ps. 140:3).
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And the man steels himself not to accept intercession, be moved to compassion, show grace, or hear any plea — as it says: 'The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes' (Prov. 21:10).
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And he is willing to spend all his wealth and means before abandoning that vengeance — as it says: 'Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold' (Isa. 13:17). And if he cannot reach
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— killing that enemy except by killing a thousand righteous people, or even killing himself — he would not refuse it — as it says: 'Let me die with the Philistines' (Judg. 16:30).
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And if he cannot reach it except by abandoning his Creator and His worship — as it says: 'Insolent men have risen against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life — they do not set You before them' (Ps. 86:14).
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Even after enduring all these things, he may still not reach his goal — as it says: 'To break through to the king of Edom, but they could not' (2 Kgs. 3:26).
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And sometimes the outcome turns against him and he himself is destroyed — as it says: 'He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who rolls it' (Prov. 26:27).
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And if he survives and obtains what he sought, he has placed himself in the severe punishment of God — from which no one can save him except the one he wronged — as it says: 'A man who is burdened with the blood of a person will flee to the pit; let no one help him' (Prov. 28:17).
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And the false ambition to prevail against fate — by the doctrine of the fatalists; the false ambition to prevail against the stars — by the doctrine of the astrologers; and the false and spiteful claim to prevail against the Creator of heaven and earth — by those who think they can escape His governance —
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— as it says: 'They hold fast to an evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly; they say: Who can see them?' (Ps. 64:6).
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And people's hatred of him and the creatures' hostility, and hearts holding what envies his good fortune and gloats at his calamity — as it says: 'Their own tongue is their downfall; all who see them shake their heads' (Ps. 64:9).
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No one is found to grieve over their grief, no one to feel pain over their calamity; instead eating and drinking are joyous events in their place — as it says: 'There is no healing for your ruin; your wound is grievous; all who hear the news of you clap their hands over you, for upon whom has your evil not passed continually?' (Nah. 3:19).
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And often the very origin of the enmity was aggression by the very person who now takes vengeance at the end — as it says: 'Those who hate me without cause' (Ps. 69:5), and also: 'Do not show grace to any workers of iniquity — Selah' (Ps. 84:9).
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The love of vengeance was implanted in the soul only that God's right be taken against those who corrupt the land and that people be set right — as it says: 'Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, cutting off all evildoers from the city of the Lord' (Ps. 101:8).