This verse in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, hits you right in the gut. It talks about divine vengeance, and not just a single act of retribution, but two. "For the blood of His servants shall He avenge, and vengeances will He return to His adversaries": two vengeances — one for the blood; one for the despoiling." It’s a powerful image, isn't it? Two distinct acts of Divine justice, one for the bloodshed itself, and another for the plundering, the robbing of dignity and resources.
But it doesn't stop there. What if the despoiling, the act of taking away a people's possessions and security, is itself equated to spilling innocent blood?
That's a heavy thought.
The text asks: "And whence is it derived that every despoiling of Israel by the nations is accounted to them as having spilled innocent blood?" Where do we get this idea?
The answer is found in the Book of Joel. Chapter 4, verse 2, says: "I will gather all of the nations, and I will bring them down to the valley of Yehoshafat and I will contend with them there for My people and My inheritance, which they scattered…" This is a prophecy of judgment, a reckoning for the nations who have wronged Israel. The scattering, the dispossession, is the crime.
And then, just a few verses later, in verses 19-21, Joel continues: "Egypt will become a desolation, and Edom a desolate desert, because of the despoiling of the children of Judah, their spilling of innocent blood in their land." The despoiling is directly linked to the spilling of innocent blood. The verse goes on, promising restoration for Judah: "And Yehudah will dwell (secure) forever…" But then comes a chilling line: "And cleanse their blood (i.e., to forgive this bloodshed by the nations) — I will not cleanse it."
I will not cleanse it.
That’s pretty stark, isn’t it? The idea that the act of despoiling a people, of stripping them of their dignity and security, is akin to spilling their blood… and that this act will not be easily forgiven. It speaks volumes about the profound connection between a people and their land, their heritage, their very right to exist without fear.
It makes you think about the long and often brutal history of the Jewish people, doesn't it? This passage isn't just about ancient history. It’s a potent reminder that the pain of dispossession, the trauma of being made vulnerable, leaves a wound that runs deep. And according to this interpretation, it's a wound that the Divine takes incredibly seriously.
So, what does this mean for us today? Perhaps it's a call to remember, to bear witness to the suffering of others. Maybe it's a reminder to stand up against injustice, wherever we see it. And maybe, just maybe, it's a glimmer of hope that even in the darkest times, there is a force that sees, that remembers, and that ultimately seeks justice.