Is revenge ever justified? This week’s parasha, Matot-Masei, presents a complex tension. Hashem commands Moshe to strike the Midianites for their role in bringing a deadly plague upon the Jewish people, suggesting that retaliation can be a mitzvah. Yet, in Parashat Kedoshim, we are told explicitly not to take revenge. Rambam even calls vengeance a destructive character trait. So which is it? As in many areas of Jewish thought, the answer depends on intent. If revenge comes from personal anger, i