Is It Wrong to Celebrate Your Enemy’s Downfall?

When Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in October 2024, Israelis poured into the streets. Social media exploded with celebration. Justice had been served. But somewhere in the back of many minds, a verse whispered: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls.” Was the celebration wrong? Was it hypocritical? Judaism wrestles with this tension in ways that might surprise you.

This isn’t just an Israeli question. When a boss who tormented you gets fired, when the bully from school ends up broke, when someone who hurt you faces consequences – what does Judaism say about that little spark of satisfaction? The answer reveals something profound about Jewish ethics and what it means to be both human and holy.

Quick Takeaways

• The Torah contains an apparent contradiction between celebrating at the Red Sea and prohibiting rejoicing at enemy downfall, and this tension is intentional.
• Jewish law distinguishes between personal enemies and objectively wicked people. The rules differ depending on who has fallen and why.
• Different Jewish movements interpret these teachings differently. Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism all bring nuanced perspectives to this question.
• The key is intention. Celebrating the end of evil is different from celebrating human suffering – even when it’s the same event.
• God grieves even the death of the wicked. The Talmud teaches that divine justice comes with divine sorrow.

What Does Judaism Say About Celebrating Enemy Defeat?

The most famous teaching comes from the book of Proverbs: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17). This verse has echoed through Jewish consciousness for thousands of years. It’s quoted in the Mishnah by Shmuel HaKatan, a first-century sage known for his extraordinary humility and compassion. The fact that he chose this as his signature teaching tells us something important.

But here’s where it gets complicated. The same book of Proverbs also states: “When the wicked perish, there is song” (Proverbs 11:10). Wait – aren’t these verses saying opposite things? Can we celebrate or can’t we?

The Biblical Warning

The full verse in Proverbs 24 includes a warning: “Lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn His wrath away from him” (Proverbs 24:18). Some commentators read this as tactical advice – God might spare your enemy if He sees you gloating. Others see it as a deeper spiritual principle about the poison of schadenfreude, that distinctly human pleasure in others’ pain.

Medieval Jewish scholar Rabbenu Yonah of Gerona offered a crucial distinction: It’s acceptable to celebrate the removal of evil from the world and the manifestation of divine justice. What’s prohibited is celebrating the suffering of another human being. Even when it’s the same event, your focus matters.

The Talmudic Nuance

The Talmud adds layers to this discussion. In tractate Sanhedrin (39b), we find a striking teaching: When the Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, the angels wanted to sing God’s praises. But God rebuked them, saying: “The work of My hands is drowning in the sea, and you want to sing?”

Think about that for a moment. These were the same Egyptians who had enslaved, tortured, and murdered Jewish children. Yet God grieved their deaths. Why? Because every human being is created in the divine image. Even when justice demands consequences, even when evil must be stopped, God takes no pleasure in the destruction of human life.

When Celebrating Feels Right: The Modern Dilemma

Let’s get real here. When terrorists die, when tyrants fall, when abusers face justice – most people feel relief. Many feel joy. And if you’re being honest, so do you. Is that wrong?

Modern Jewish thinkers have wrestled with this exact question, especially in the context of Israel and contemporary threats. The tension isn’t theoretical when rockets target your children’s schools or your neighbor’s son is kidnapped by terrorists.

The Israeli-Palestinian Context

Israeli celebrations after military victories create genuine ethical discomfort for many Jews. Some justify these celebrations by pointing to the nature of the threats – Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups that explicitly seek Jewish destruction. Others argue that any celebration of death, even of enemies, violates Jewish values.

Rabbi Abraham Kook offered insight that helps navigate this: The person chosen to write the prayer against enemies in Jewish liturgy was Shmuel HaKatan – precisely because his personal motto was not to rejoice at enemy downfall. Only someone with that sensitivity could pray for justice without descending into hatred.

Justice vs. Vengeance

There’s a distinction worth making between celebration of justice and celebration of suffering. When Osama bin Laden was killed, many Jews celebrated. But what exactly were they celebrating? The removal of a murderer who had killed thousands? Or the suffering of a human being?

Traditional Jewish sources suggest it’s the first that’s acceptable. We can – and should – be glad when evil is stopped. What we shouldn’t do is take personal, vindictive pleasure in human pain, even deserved pain. It’s a fine line, and honestly, it’s one most people cross without noticing.

The Wisdom of Proverbs: Why God’s Compassion Matters

Let’s dig deeper into that Proverbs verse. Why does it matter what God thinks about our celebrations? Can’t we have our private feelings?

The verse suggests that God’s displeasure might cause Him to “turn His wrath away” from your enemy. Some rabbis interpret this practically: excessive gloating displays spiritual arrogance that God despises. Others see it more mystically: your negative energy actually protects your enemy from divine justice.

What This Actually Means for You

Here’s the practical application: When your enemy suffers, check your heart. Are you relieved that justice is being served? That’s probably fine. Are you gleeful that another human being is in pain? That’s the problem.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explained it this way: God doesn’t wish for the death of the wicked, but for them to repent. Every evildoer who dies represents both a victory over evil and a loss of potential redemption. That’s why even righteous anger should be tempered with sorrow.

But What About Exodus? The Contradiction Problem

If we’re not supposed to celebrate enemy downfall, why does the Torah depict the Israelites singing and dancing after the Egyptians drowned at the Red Sea? The Song of the Sea (Exodus 15) is one of the most triumphant moments in Jewish scripture. Miriam grabbed a tambourine and led the women in celebration. Was that wrong?

The Song at the Sea

Exodus describes the newly freed slaves watching their oppressors drown, then breaking into joyful song: “Horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.” This doesn’t sound like reluctant relief – it sounds like full-throated celebration.

Some traditional commentators note that the full Hallel (praise psalms) is only recited on the first day of Passover. For the remaining days, we say only half-Hallel. Why? Because during those days, the Egyptians died. Even our celebration of freedom is tempered by the human cost.

How Rabbis Reconcile These Texts

The Tifferet Yisrael, a classical commentary, offers a resolution: When it’s just a personal grudge – when your individual enemy falls and you feel personal triumph – God may be displeased. But when objectively wicked people who threatened innocent lives are stopped, when the hand of divine justice is visible in history, celebration becomes appropriate.

Another approach: The Jews at the Red Sea were celebrating their liberation, not Egyptian deaths. The focus was redemption, not revenge. Rabbi David Fohrman points out that the Song of the Sea praises God’s power and mercy – it’s God-focused, not enemy-focused.

Different Jewish movements emphasize different aspects. Orthodox tradition tends toward the view that celebrating the fall of true evil is acceptable. Reform and Conservative Judaism often stress that even deserved punishment should evoke compassion. Both draw from authentic Jewish sources.

Putting This Into Practice

So what does this mean for your actual life? When your difficult coworker gets fired, when your ex’s new relationship fails, when someone who wronged you faces consequences – how should you respond?

If you’re just starting: Notice your emotional reaction without judgment. When you feel satisfaction at someone’s misfortune, ask yourself: “Am I glad evil was stopped, or am I glad a person is hurting?” This simple question can reveal a lot about your spiritual state.

To deepen your practice: Try Beruria’s approach from the Talmud (Berakhot 10a). When Rabbi Meir wanted to pray for local thugs to die, his wife Beruria corrected him using Psalms 104:35, which says “May sins cease from the earth” – not sinners. Pray for the end of harmful behavior, not the destruction of people.

For serious exploration: Study the full range of Jewish sources on this topic. Read different perspectives from Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform thinkers. Grapple with the genuine tension between justice and compassion. Judaism doesn’t resolve every ethical dilemma neatly – sometimes the answer is “it’s complicated,” and sitting with that complexity is itself a spiritual practice.

The Line Between Justice and Schadenfreude

The German word “schadenfreude” captures something universal: pleasure derived from others’ misfortunes. Psychologists say it’s a natural human emotion, tied to our tribal instincts and sense of fairness. But Judaism asks us to rise above what’s natural.

Here’s the key insight: You can believe someone deserves consequences while still regretting that consequences were necessary. You can support justice while mourning that justice required punishment. This isn’t weakness – it’s spiritual sophistication.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself

When facing the downfall of an enemy, Jewish tradition suggests considering these questions:

First, is this a personal enemy or a threat to others? If someone wronged you personally, celebrating their suffering reveals something ugly about your character. If they’re a genuine threat to innocent people, relief at their removal is natural and appropriate.

Second, what exactly am I celebrating? Safety? Justice? The end of fear? Or am I celebrating human pain for its own sake? The first three are defensible. The last one is poison.

Third, would I want God to treat me the way I’m treating my enemy? Jewish ethics often comes down to this: divine compassion as a model for human behavior. God grieves even the deaths of the wicked. Can you hold both justice and sorrow at once?

When Different Parts of Judaism Disagree

It’s important to acknowledge that Judaism doesn’t speak with one voice on this question. Orthodox authorities tend to be more comfortable with celebrating the fall of genuine evildoers. Progressive movements often emphasize universal human dignity even for enemies.

Some Israeli rabbis have explicitly permitted celebration after terrorist attacks are thwarted or terrorists are killed. They argue that this falls under the category of objectively wicked people whose removal makes the world safer. Other rabbis, including some in Israel, push back, citing the Talmudic teaching about God’s grief.

This diversity of opinion isn’t a bug – it’s a feature. Judaism values multiple perspectives and expects you to wrestle with hard questions rather than accepting easy answers.

What This Means Today

In an age of social media, where every enemy’s downfall becomes public entertainment, these ancient teachings feel startlingly relevant. The urge to share screenshots of someone’s failure, to pile on when someone you dislike faces consequences, to treat human suffering as content – Judaism pushes back against all of it.

The Torah’s wisdom is this: Even deserved suffering diminishes the world. Even necessary justice should evoke some sadness. Even when evil must be stopped, the stopping itself isn’t cause for pure joy. This doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human in the deepest sense – created in the divine image, capable of holding both justice and mercy, both relief and regret.

So is it wrong to feel satisfied when your enemy fails? Not necessarily. Is it wrong to let that satisfaction become glee, to feed it, to publicize it, to make it central to your emotional life? According to Jewish wisdom – yes, probably. The goal isn’t to suppress natural human emotions but to refine them, to let your better nature govern your worse impulses, to become the kind of person who can hold justice and compassion together even when they seem to contradict.

That’s a lifelong project. Don’t expect to master it by next week. But awareness is the first step, and Jewish tradition offers a roadmap for the journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q – Is it a sin in Judaism to celebrate when your enemy suffers?

A – It depends on the situation. Jewish law distinguishes between personal enemies and objectively wicked people. Celebrating the downfall of someone who merely wronged you personally is discouraged. However, feeling relief when genuinely evil people who threaten others are stopped is considered more acceptable. The key is whether you’re celebrating the end of evil or taking pleasure in human suffering.

Q – Why did Jews celebrate at the Red Sea if they’re not supposed to rejoice at enemy downfall?

A – Traditional commentators explain that the Jews were celebrating their liberation and God’s power, not specifically the Egyptian deaths. The Song of the Sea focuses on redemption rather than revenge. Additionally, the Talmud notes that God rebuked the angels for wanting to sing while Egyptians drowned, showing divine grief even for necessary justice.

Q – Do all Jewish movements agree on celebrating enemy defeat?

A – No, different Jewish movements emphasize different aspects. Orthodox Judaism tends to permit celebrating the fall of genuinely wicked people who threaten innocent lives. Reform and Conservative Judaism often stress maintaining compassion even for deserving enemies. Both positions draw from authentic Jewish sources and represent valid interpretations of the tradition.

Q – What does the Talmud say about rejoicing when enemies die?

A – The Talmud presents a nuanced view. In Sanhedrin 39b, it teaches that God rebuked angels for wanting to sing while Egyptians drowned, saying “The work of My hands is drowning in the sea.” Yet it also states that “When the wicked perish, there is joy.” This apparent contradiction reflects the complex balance between justice and compassion that Judaism seeks.

Q – How can I apply Jewish teaching about enemies in modern life?

A – Jewish tradition suggests examining your intentions. Ask yourself whether you’re relieved that justice was served or genuinely gleeful about human pain. Practice what the Talmud teaches: pray for the end of harmful behavior rather than the destruction of people. Try to hold both justice and compassion simultaneously, acknowledging that even deserved consequences represent a loss of human potential.