God takes no pleasure in the suffering of the sinner. The moral force of this searing reprimand asserts that God cares deeply for all the children of Adam and Eve. They are uniformly endowed with God's imprint, even if they deviate from the paths of justice and righteousness. Ever since, Jews have tempered their own celebration of Passover, which commemorates the exodus. On the other six days, several are omitted in deference to the loss of Egyptian life in the wake of Israel's redemption.
Morality is meant to curb our innate disposition for revenge, no matter how warranted or licit.
The hope of the future must not be held hostage by the horrors of the past. Rabbi Ismar Schorsch is the Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.