Only Hashem Avenges
A son of one of my secretaries committed suicide, rachmana litzlan. There were different versions to the story. According to one, he had been threatened with his life by the underworld and decided to take it on his own. According to another, out of fear of his enemies (probably the said underworld), he fell out of the window.
I was deeply saddened by this news and traveled to the funeral. Many of the boy’s friends from Nice came to Lyon, where the funeral took place. I offered words of eulogy and condolence. Afterward, one of his friends sidled up to me, swinging a gun in the air. “Honored Rabbi,” he began, passionately, “if I catch the one who threatened my friend, I will shoot him dead.”
I shuddered at these harsh words. “Please,” I began, “I beg of you. Leave vengeance to Hashem, the G-d of vengeance. Abandon this weapon, lest it be used against you. We are now in exile. We have no Beit Hamikdash, Kohen Gadol, or Sanhedrin to rule on crimes of murder. Guns are not toys. Do not dare to use one for anything at all. Throw it out, or return it immediately to where it came from!” The young man merely mocked my words.
Two weeks later, I was told that he had shot himself in the head with this gun. I was pained that he had not taken my words to heart. How sad that he lost his life in this world, and perhaps the Next World, as well.
