Monday, May 02, 2011

Duelling Proverbs on the Death of Bin Laden

Jeffrey Goldberg offers: "When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers." -- Proverbs 21:15

Russell Arben Fox (and the Magnes Zionist, and Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld) offer “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.” -- Proverbs 24:17

(In fairness, if you read their full statements, both RAF and Rabbi Herzfeld are more equivocal than that quote would indicate.)

What can one say except "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose"? (Merchant of Venice 1:2). But how do you tell which is which?

1 comment:

Jerry Haber said...

How do you tell? You look at the person citing the scripture and see what sort of mensch he is -- if he is one.