The removal of a formidable adversary, such as Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, deserves profound celebration. Let's start by focusing on the immediate moment. According to Jewish tradition, when something good happens, one should first express gratitude for the event itself before delving into calculations and assessments of its future implications. An integral part of this joy is thanking everyone involved – from political and military leaders, various security forces, engineers and technicians, to the long line of those whose contributions made this possible – and expressing gratitude to God for aiding all the human efforts that led to this successful strike.
Israelis cheer in Tel Aviv and Thailand hearing about Nasrallah's death
(Video: Yanatan Aharonson, Shmuel David)
As I wrote previously, following the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi a few months ago, it is challenging to count the number of biblical verses expressing the profound idea of "When the wicked perish, there is rejoicing."
Beyond the biblical context, this is a healthy and positive human sentiment, aligning well with a moral stance: Those who have corrupted the divine image within themselves and have chosen the path of wickedness indeed become a source of joy upon their demise. The admonition "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls" does not apply to this type of enemy. It refers to domestic rivals or enemies with whom there is potential for reconciliation, not to the wicked.
The Bible is replete with victory songs in war, and as King David proclaimed toward the end of his life: "I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them. And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet" (2 Samuel 22:38-39). We are profoundly grateful for the removal of one of the most serious threats to the State of Israel, for the principle of measure for measure, and for restoring deterrence against our enemies. This is a significant reason for renewed hope and an optimistic outlook.
When we shift our perspective from the present to the long term, the picture becomes more complex in two respects. The first is the future implications of the successful elimination – how and whether it will enable the residents of the north to return to their homes, its impact on the fate of hostages, and whether this is a step toward a comprehensive regional war or a chance for de-escalation.
The future is unknown, and therefore it is wise to be cautious of hubris, blindness and the pitfalls that have tripped us up in the past, such as the credit-grabbing wars. It is always advisable to prefer humility over arrogance, caution over disregard, and absolute confidence in striving to close every gap with great responsibility.
The second aspect is the constant reminder that our vision for the end of days is one of peace. We have no moral qualms about fighting resolutely and bravely against our enemies, yet we must remember that our goal is to establish a reality where the State of Israel brings more and more blessing to our surroundings and the entire world. Our enemies have forced us to remove the word "peace" from the Israeli lexicon, but in our prayers, it appears many times, and we end each prayer and Kaddish with the words "He who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace upon us."
Our great challenge is to stand as an unyielding wall against any harm to us while always remembering that we would prefer our attention to be directed toward establishing a just exemplary society, developing our identity, and being a source of light and goodness in the human world.