 |
|
February 22, 2012
Warren Richey: How Supreme Court ruling on Texas could reduce affirmative action across US
Philip Moeller: Hard time determining your current and future savings needs --- and even harder still, executing a plan? Here's what to do about it!
Menachem Wecker: In Tough Job Market, Law Grads Use J.D.s for Nonlegal Work
February 21, 2012
Michael Doyle: Supreme Court to hear arguments on whether a lie is protected speech
Neela Banerjee: NSC wants rules on research that could lead to biological weapons
Fred Weir: Fearing West, Putin pledges biggest military buildup since cold war
February 17, 2012
Kristen Chick: After surviving sectarian mob, Egyptian Christians expelled from village
Eryn Brown: Microchip is a new means of medicating
February 16, 2012
SeaWorld of Pain : Watch Wyatt Cenac, a black comic, confront "whale freedom rider" Lisa Lange of PETA and make her squirm ( LENGTH: 5 minutes)
Jason Koebler: Antibiotics Do Nothing to Cure Sinus Infections, Study Says
February 15, 2012
Jeffrey Fleishman: Women were at the vanguard in the protests that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Meet some who refuse to wake up from their dream --- the mullahs and military be damned
Richard Simon: 'The check is in the mail' could soon be a legal excuse
Liz Bowie: Debate on whether cursive writing should still be taught
Jason Koebler: Super Plants: Could Re-Wired Plants Be the New Cancer Killers?
Susan Johnston: Strategies to preempt unwanted calls or other communication from collectors
February 14, 2012
Dennis Prager: Chris Christie on Israel --- and What It Means to Be a Leader
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: Shariah's police? Interpol's honoring of Saudi warrant could lead to arrest of Americans
The Kosher Gourmet by Matt Armendariz: VEGETABLE CRUMBLE is a simple, satisfying dish of tender eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and onions crowned with a savory buttery topping and a sprinkle of fresh herbs
February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
|
| |
Jewish World Review
Vengeance is Mine
By Rabbi Yonason Goldson
How far should we go in our pursuit of justice?
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
There are few indicators of popular outlooks and attitudes more accurate than the seasonal television lineup. This year's programming clearly reflects a popular passion for justice. But a closer look reveals that passion to be somewhat more conflicted than it first appears.
Crime shows dominate the firmament of prime time, with long-running shows like Law and Order, NCIS, and CSI extending their tenure, while newer shows like Rookie Blue, Prime Suspect, and Unforgettable vie for equal audience share. True believers in social justice should find it reassuring that so many people look to dramas about good guys catching bad guys as their preferred form of entertainment.
This hasn't always been the case. We have to go all the way back to the 1960s to find that media sensitivities reflected basic values of right and wrong. The classic caper movies of that era almost always ended with the criminals getting caught, no matter how lovable they were or how much the audience identified with them.
Although their real-life counterparts quietly lived out their lives after retiring from armed robbery, the title characters in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were gunned down by the Bolivian army after pulling one-too-many bank jobs; Melina Mercouri and her crew of colorful miscreants defied gravity with their acrobatic antics in Topkapi but didn't escape prison time; Michael Caine was left hanging — literally — with his busload of gold teetering on the edge of a cliff at the end of the original Italian Job; and even though the Rat Pack managed to avoid getting nabbed at the end of the first Ocean's Eleven, they had to sit by and watch helplessly while the loot they had cleverly hidden in a casket was cremated instead of buried.
Back in the day, filmmakers understood intuitively that nobody wanted to go home with the message that crime pays.
THE END OF INNOCENCE
Then came the counterculture of the hippie era, followed by the "Me Generation" of the seventies, and the erosion of confidence in "The System." We wanted the bad guys to win, even though we didn't want the good guys to lose. So Hollywood gave us movies about bad guys stealing from worse guys. At last we could root for the criminals and still feel good about it.
| STIMULATION AND INSPIRATION |
| Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes "must-reading". Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click here. | |
And so Paul Newman and Robert Redford came back in The Sting to successfully con the crime boss who ordered the murder of their fellow grifter; Mark Wahlberg replaced Michael Caine in The Italian Job and stole back the gold lost to his double-crossing partner; George Clooney resurrected Daniel Ocean and got away with fleecing a ruthless casino owner. Topkapi never did see a remake, but its aerial artistry inspired Tom Cruise's classic wire scene in Mission: Impossible, when he broke into Langley and stole from a dithering CIA the information he needed to expose his renegade boss.
Which brings us to the latest trend in video arts: good guys going rogue as self-appointed agents of justice.
A free-spirited hybrid of Ocean's Eleven and Robin Hood, Leverage portrays a team of repentant criminals who have discovered the joys of scamming the rich and powerful who prey on the weak and poor. Nikita follows the adventures of a superagent dedicated to the destruction of the corrupt agency that trained her to work for them. And in Person of Interest, the creator of a supercomputer that anticipates acts of terrorism recruits yet another superagent to prevent acts of murder that aren't worthy of the government's attention.
But nothing reflects the zeitgeist of the moment better than the not-so-subtly titled primetime soap opera, Revenge, in which the heroine orchestrates pitiless payback against the people who framed her father and stole her childhood.
FOR THE LOVE OF JUSTICE
Modern observers often point to the biblical mandate to exact "an eye for an eye" as the classic endorsement of vengeance in civil society. However, this reasoning fails on two counts.
First, Jewish law restricts such retribution to the context of the courtroom; it is the verdict of jurisprudence alone that sanctions punishment, whether financial or corporeal. Second, and more significantly, the Talmudic analysis of the scriptural passage concludes that "an eye for an eye" refers not to any draconian quid pro quo but to monetary compensation in proportion to the damage done.
By way of proof, the Talmud asks rhetorically what would happen if a one-eyed man gouged out the eye of a two-eyed man. To take the eye of the perpetrator would not be just, since he would be left sightless, whereas his victim has been left with one good eye. But to leave him with his one eye intact would mean that he suffers no punishment at all. Consequently, the verse must be referring to payment of money.
But how can we consider this justice? Surely no monetary value can be placed on an eye or any other form of non-quantifiable damage. Indeed, the judgments awarded by modern courts vary wildly between millions of dollars for trivial damages and inadequate compensation for outrageous harm. The frequent failure of our justice system to do justice leaves us bitter and disillusioned. We contemplate vengeance because we feel abandoned by justice.
But our frustration stems from a basic misconception: the fanciful belief that it is even possible to procure justice in this world.
THE HIDDEN WAYS OF THE WORLD
Is there justice for a baby born with fetal alcohol syndrome? Is there justice for a child whose parents are killed by a drunk driver? Is there justice for a family cheated out of their life savings by an unscrupulous investment advisor? Is there justice for a man exonerated by DNA testing after serving twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit?
The Hebrew word ha'olam — meaning "the world" — shares its grammatical root with the word he'elam — meaning "hidden." A small child doesn't understand why his father pulls him roughly away when he reaches out to touch a flame. A young student doesn't appreciate why his teacher makes him struggle to do a problem over and over until he gets it right. An exhausted athlete doesn't understand why his coach won't let him stop to rest. So too, we don't understand why we have to endure the apparent injustices of life and witness the suffering of innocents.
If everything were revealed to us, however, if all the contradictions of our lives could be easily resolved, if human society were capable of imposing justice upon every aspect of our lives, then there would be no conflicts to overcome, no opportunity to trust in anything greater than ourselves, and no driving force to make us strive for spiritual and moral greatness by rising above the contradictions of human existence.
Like the child, the student, and the athlete, we can impose order on our world only by recognizing that appearance of chaos is neither random nor unmerciful. Precisely the opposite is true, for the Creator has filled the world with things we cannot understand to teach us humility, to give us the opportunity to learn to trust that the One who keeps the stars in the heavens allows events to unfold according to a plan inscrutable to human eyes. Only with time and experience can we grow increasingly confident that, ultimately, justice will be done.
In our search for understanding, eventually we have to conclude that nothing else makes sense. And so we do the best we can by seeking justice within the limits and boundaries of the law, waiting patiently for the Almighty to fulfill the promise He made concerning the wicked who seem to prosper and flourish without consequence:
Vengeance is Mine, and also retribution at the time when their foot will falter;
For the day of their demise approaches, and future events race toward them.
| ENJOYED THE ARTICLE? YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK |
|
 Click HERE to purchase it at a discount. |
|
JewishWorldReview.com regularly publishes uplifting articles. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Interested in a private Judaic studies instructor — for free? Let us know by clicking here.
Comment by clicking here. JWR contributor Rabbi Yonason Goldson teaches at Block Yeshiva High School in St. Louis, MO, where he also writes and lectures. He is author of Dawn to Destiny: Exploring Jewish History and its Hidden Wisdom, an overview of Jewish philosophy and history from Creation through the compilation of the Talmud, now available from Judaica Press. Visit him at http://torahideals.com .
© 2011, Rabbi Yonason Goldson
|
