Our book club was recently introduced to a powerful article by Rabbi Meir Y. Soloveichik called “The Virtue of Hate.” It was sent to us by one of our members and has been on my mind ever since. The article delves into the Jewish tradition’s perspective on dealing with enemies and individuals who have committed heinous acts, which is a stark contrast to the Christian tradition I’ve known my whole life.
Admittedly, this idea shook my 77 years of Christian belief. However, the article brought a lot of clarity and helped me understand a different way of thinking about immense evil. One of the most intriguing things I learned was about the Hebrew phrase yemach shemo, which means “may his name be erased.” This phrase is often used casually when referring to a great enemy of the Jewish people, both past and present. For example, a person might say, “Thank God, my grandparents left Germany before Hitler, yemach shemo, came to power.”
This concept immediately made me think of the Harry Potter series, where witches and wizards refuse to speak Lord Voldemort’s name, instead calling him “You-Know-Who” or “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” I wonder if J.K. Rowling was inspired by the idea of yemach shemo.
The most compelling thought from the article is how we should respond to bullies and those who commit evil. Bullies often project their own perceived flaws onto others and then try to destroy them. The worst among them are completely devoid of empathy and the normal human response to suffering. What they crave most is attention and relevance. Perhaps, as the Rabbi’s article suggests, the most powerful way to react to these individuals is to deny them exactly what they want.
By choosing to erase their names, we deny them the attention, memory, and importance they seek. This isn’t about ignoring evil, but about reclaiming our own power by refusing to give them a lasting place in our thoughts and history. It’s a powerful and freeing idea: let their names be erased.
What do you think of this idea? Has this article or this reflection changed the way you think about responding to evil?
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