Q&A: May the Name of the Wicked Rot
May the Name of the Wicked Rot
Question
Is it permissible to say about someone, “May the name of the wicked rot,” the way some people like to say it? Does this fall under the prohibition against cursing a Jew, or can one say that this is not a curse at all, but simply stating that the names of wicked people should rot—so if he is wicked, then it applies to him, and if not, then not?
Answer
If he is wicked, then it is permitted. If he is not wicked, then this is slander and giving him a bad name. A forbidden curse is only one made with God’s name.
Discussion on Answer
Not correct. It says that it is forbidden, but it does not say that this is a Torah prohibition. It also says that one is not flogged for it. And in the Vilna Gaon’s commentary there, he already wrote that this is a puzzling statement contrary to the Talmud. All of this is with regard to the formal halakhic prohibition of cursing.
With God’s help, 4 Adar I, 5784
To the honorable rabbi—many greetings,
In the view of the Tur and Shulchan Arukh (Hoshen Mishpat 27:1), there is also a Torah prohibition even when not using God’s name or even a substitute name. The reasons given by Sefer HaChinukh (that harmful speech can cause damage) and Maimonides (that habituation to anger damages the soul of the speaker) seemingly apply even without mentioning the Name.
It seems to me that it is better to channel the negative feeling that floods a person into more optimistic paths: to passionately bless the person one is angry with—sometimes justifiably—that he improve his ways.
It is told about Rabbi Aryeh Levin, of blessed memory, that he was asked to curse Nasser, and he replied: I only bless—”May he merit the coming of our righteous Messiah” 🙂
Best regards,
Fish”l