A Thanksgiving d'var torah

[rhu]

This morning, I was translating Megillah 10b for the Dafcast, and I encountered this passage. Since today is Thanksgiving, and given the news from Mumbai, it seemed apt, and I thought I'd share it:

God does not derive pleasure from the downfall of the wicked. For it is written (in II Chron. 20): “They went forth in front of the army, and they were to say: ‘Hodu Lashem, ki leolam chasdo — Give thanks to God, for God’s mercy is infinite.’” Rabbi Yochanan observed that when this verse occurs in Psalms, it says “Hodu Lashem ki tov, ki leolam chasdo — Give thanks to God, for God is good, for God’s mercy is infinite.” He asked: Why did they omit “ki tov — for God is good” in this proclamation of thanksgiving? He explained: Because the Holy One, Who is Blessed, does not rejoice in the downfall of the wicked.

Although the downfall of the wicked is necessary in a just society, it would be better if they repent. While we are thankful to God for, among other things, our security from evildoers, our joy in what we have is diminished by our knowledge that, too often, evil cannot be turned to good, but evildoers must be fought and destroyed. And, according to this passage from the Talmud, God’s joy is also diminished.