Foolishness of Holding a Grudge

There are commandments in פרשת קדושים that give advice on how to get along with other people. We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves, which teaches the Mitzva of אהבת ישראל, loving every Jew. We are also told not to take revenge or hold a grudge against another person.

And there is also the commandment that forbids us from hating our brother in our hearts. The Torah recommends that rebuking one who has harmed us, will remove these feelings of resentment.

Rabbi Twerski takes this a step further by explaining that when one allows himself to hold a grudge or hold on to feelings of resentment, the only one he is hurting, is himself.

The person that these feelings are aimed at, most likely is unaware or doesn’t care that this person has such feelings against him. He is not the one losing sleep because he is eating himself up with this anger and resentment.

The Torah is telling us that we need to rid ourselves of these negative feelings. It is clearly for our benefit that we move on, and leave this negativity behind us.

It is utter folly to punish yourself for someone else’s misdeeds. In Kohelet it’s written that, “Anger lingers in the bosom of a fool.” It is simply not worth hating another Jew.