Dealing With Our Enemies

"When a person's ways please YHVH, He shall make even his enemies be at peace with him."   
Proverbs  16: 7

The Torah's restriction against revenge can be a most difficult challenge with which to cope.  If misfortune befalls your enemy, you may feel he received his just desserts, and you may wish to celebrate.  You may feel that YHVH did to him what you were not permitted to.  

The Bible warns, "When your enemy falls, do not rejoice, and when he stumbles, do not let your heart be glad.  Lest YHVH see it and it displease Him, and He takes away His anger from him."  (Prov  24:17-18)

YHVH may have reasons for punishing your enemy, but it has nothing to do with you.  It is a private account.  If you take undeserved credit for his punishment, YHVH may stop it and you may actually be undoing what you wanted to do.

We are told that when the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea, the heavenly angels wished to sing praises to YHVH for His judgment.  YHVH silenced them saying, "The works of My hands are drowning, and you wish to sing My praises?"  Although the Divine judgment was that they be punished, YHVH was not happy that He had to make that judgment.

"If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.  You will be heaping coals on his head."  (Prov 25:21-22)  Retaliation will give him more reason to act against you.  Be kind to him, and you will disarm him.

Wise people will deal with their enemies in a way that is more likely to stop their hostile behavior.