The Torah commands in Parashat Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:18), “Lo Tikom” – “You shall not take revenge.” The Sefer Ha’hinuch explains that if a person wronged his fellow, causing him any sort of harm or distress, in any way, that fellow is not permitted to do something against him in return, for revenge. Even if the person committed an offense to which people would naturally react with revenge, the Torah requires the victim to overcome his instinctive tendency, as well as the societal expectation to take revenge, and not do something to harm the perpetrator. The Sifra establishes that this applies even to relatively minor offenses. For example, if a person asks his friend to lend him his sickle, and the friend refuses, then if later the friend asks him to lend him his axe, he may not refuse to lend it to him out of revenge. Even though the friend refused to lend him his sickle the previous day, he may not refuse to lend him his axe to “settle the score.” Explaining the reason behind this command, the Sefer Ha’hinuch develops one of the foundational elements of Emuna (faith) – that everything which happens to a person has been ordained by G-d. If somebody wronged us, the Sefer Ha’hinuch writes, this could not have happened unless Hashem decided that we needed to endure this pain, harm or loss, and we were deserving of this punishment. Once we accept this belief, then there is no sense in seeking retribution against the person who wronged us, as he was simply a messenger of G-d. The Rabbis of the Mussar movement explained this concept by way of analogy to somebody striking his fellow with his stick. There is no sense in becoming angry at the stick, as the beatings are being done not by the stick, but by the person holding it. But if a dog is being struck, then it might likely grow angry at the stick, because it lacks the intelligence to recognize that it is a person, and not the stick itself, that hurts it. By the same token, if somebody harms us, we must recognize that this person is but the “stick” used by Hashem. Rather than take revenge, we must respond by introspecting and improving our behavior. Notably, the Sefer Ha’hinuch introduces this discussion by stating that “a person must know and place in his heart” this fundamental tenet of Jewish faith. It is possible for a person to know something in his mind, but fail to internalize it in his heart such that it informs his behavior. The Sefer Ha’hinuch urges us to not only know this concept, but to place it in our hearts and make it an integral part of our outlook and attitude. Secondly, the Sefer Ha’hinuch writes, the Torah forbids revenge in the interest of maintaining peace and avoiding fighting and strife among people. If people take revenge, each strikes the other to avenge what they did to each other, resulting in a full-blown fight, which we are to strive to prevent. This command applies in all times, in all places, and to both men and women. One who takes revenge against his fellow has violated this prohibition, but is not liable to Malkut, because this violation generally is not committed through an action. Although this command can be violated through an action, such as if one acts violently to avenge an offense, nevertheless, the Sefer Ha’hinuch maintains that one is not liable to Malkut for violating a prohibition which can be violated without an action, even if he violated it by performing an action.