Hassan Nasrallah, the evil leader of Hezbollah, is dead – sent to the next world by another perfect Israeli air strike. Meanwhile, Israel’s pager attack, which badly wounded thousands of Hezbollah terrorists simultaneously, has been labeled one of the greatest intelligence triumphs in world history.
Still, our “friends” at the United Nations tell us that we shouldn’t overlook the terrible suffering of the Hezbollah terrorists, many of whom will no longer be able to father any more children after the exploding pagers robbed them of their manhood. Given the excruciating injuries these poor terrorists are now enduring, I’d like to offer them some comfort in the form of a fascinating teaching from the sages:
“The descendants of Sisera studied Torah in Jerusalem, and the descendants of Sennacherib became prominent Torah teachers… Even the descendants of Haman studied Torah in Bnei Brak. God intended to bring the descendants of that wicked man (Nebuchadnezzar) closer to Him as well, but the angels objected, saying, “Lord of the Universe! Would You welcome under Your divine presence the one who destroyed Your house and burned Your Temple?” (Sanhedrin 96b)
This shocking teaching from the sages demands an explanation. Why did the evil Sisera, Sennacherib and Haman merit having descendants who converted to Judaism and became great Torah scholars and leaders of the people of Israel? And why was Nebuchadnezzar denied this merit?
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, one of the great Hasidic teachers of the 18th century, answered this question with a verse:
All human beings, Jews and Gentiles, have an obligation to praise God and glorify His name. Ideally, human beings are meant to fulfill this obligation in the classic way: bringing glory to God’s name by living holy lives. That said, there are other, less pleasant ways through which people can glorify God’s name – by being the object of God’s vengeance.
When Sisera’s powerful army was destroyed and Yael drove a tent peg through his forehead, God’s name was glorified. When Sennacherib’s powerful army suddenly died at the gates of Jerusalem, God’s name was glorified. And when Haman and his evil sons were publicly hanged in Persia’s capital, God’s name was glorified. Clearly, being the object of God’s divine vengeance was not their goal. Nevertheless, their downfall glorified God’s name in this world – and so they are deserving of a reward! This is why Sisera, Sennacherib and Haman merited to have holy descendants.
But not Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonian king who destroyed the First Temple in Jerusalem and brought untold suffering to the people of Israel was not punished for his evil deeds in a clear and unmistakable fashion. Quite the opposite; instead of glorifying God, he desecrated God’s name throughout the ancient world. And so Nebuchadnezzar did not merit any holy descendants.
Which brings us back to our suffering Hezbollah terrorists. When thousands of these evil jihadists blew up across Lebanon, they accomplished something incredible, though clearly against their will. In one awesome moment, all of humanity witnessed what happens to those who are evil and foolish enough to declare war on the people of Israel. The terrorists glorified God’s name!
Mark my words – generations from now, descendants of Hezbollah terrorists will be studying Torah in Jerusalem. Well, at least those whose injuries haven’t prevented them from having children!
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