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Q&A: Forgiveness and Atonement in Jewish Law — When?

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Forgiveness and Atonement in Jewish Law — When?

Question

Hello Rabbi,
I wanted to ask:
What is the view of Jewish law regarding relationships with people who have hurt us? Are we commanded to make peace with those people even if they did not ask forgiveness (because of "I will show favor to whom I show favor," "great is peace," etc.)?
Or do we need to be "authentic" and not be "Christians" who turn the other cheek?
There is also the issue of revenge and bearing a grudge. Do I simply need to forget everything and not be angry at all because of what the other person did?
Thank you very much 🙂

Answer

We are certainly not commanded to forgive in such a situation. I also think it is not appropriate to forgive. Why forgive if he did not ask for forgiveness?!
However, one can distinguish between cognitive forgiveness and emotional forgiveness. There is value in someone who does not get angry and does not let things affect his feelings. But in principle, there is no reason to pardon someone who did not ask forgiveness. Perhaps this is what the Sages meant when they said: any Torah scholar who does not take revenge and bear a grudge like a serpent is not a Torah scholar. (Though according to this, it is not speaking only about a Torah scholar. In the conventional interpretation, it applies only to a Torah scholar because of the honor of the Torah. But notice that this speaks about revenge and bearing a grudge, not about inward forgiveness. See below.)
The question of turning the other cheek is a matter of behavior, not of feelings. A person can stand up for himself and still forgive inwardly, and one can also refrain from standing up for oneself and still not forgive inwardly. Revenge and bearing a grudge are also matters of behavior. Not taking revenge and not bearing a grudge means not giving expression to the anger in your actions, but it does not necessarily mean not being angry in your heart.

Discussion on Answer

Or Pri Dvash (2020-09-30)

Very interesting, thank you Rabbi.
I learned a lot.
So is the prohibition on anger only on the behavioral level? Is it forbidden to "express" anger? Or to "act based on anger"?

Michi (2020-09-30)

Revenge and bearing a grudge are forbidden, not every expression of anger. As a rule, it is preferable not to let emotions run you. Better to keep things on the cognitive level.

Amateur (2020-09-30)

The technique of "though according to this, it is not speaking only… in the conventional interpretation…" reminds me of the Talmudic "do not read it as…"

Binyamin Gurlin (2020-09-30)

Anger is rooted mainly in a failure of a "good eye" — someone with a "good eye" will never get angry!

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