Manifold Punishment/2

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Manifold Punishment

Exegetical Approaches

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Punished More than Deserved

Sometimes, people are punished more severely than their sins call for. This position subdivides in how it explains why this is justified:

Natural Order

Since this world is run via natural order, it is possible that the nation might receive more than its proper share of retribution.

"כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד י"י כִּפְלַיִם בְּכׇל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ" – According to the opinion brought by Shadal, this verse should be understood literally.  The people did, in fact, receive double the punishment due to them. Hashem had given them into the hands of their enemies, who proceeded to afflict Israel as they wished, resulting in their inflicting more suffering on the nation than deserved.1
"וְיָסַפְתִּי לְיַסְּרָה אֶתְכֶם שֶׁבַע עַל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם" – This verse, too, is explained literally.  Hashem threatens the people that if they continue to sin they will pay seven-fold for their crimes.
Why is this just: Divine providence vs. natural order – This approach justifies the disproportionate punishment by viewing it as part of the natural order by which the world is run. However, the sources disagree greatly regarding the balance between this natural order and Hashem's intervention in the world, and thus, regarding the specifics of how excessive punishment might be received:.
  • Natural order predominant – Hashem rarely intervenes to disrupt the natural running of the world, preferring to let nature takes its course.  As such, it is often possible to suffer from the vicissitudes of chance and human decisions. In addition, once Hashem unleashes His messengers to destroy, they are unlimited and undiscerning (נתנה רשות למחבל), leading to the potential destruction of righteous and wicked alike.2
  • Divine providence dominant – Alternatively, it is possible that normally the world is run via active Divine providence.  It is only when the nation commits certain crimes that Hashem punishes them by intentionally taking a step back and leaving the world to chance.
"וְאִם תֵּלְכוּ עִמִּי קֶרִי... וְהָלַכְתִּי אַף אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם בְּקֶרִי" – Keli Yekar points out that the verses which speak of manifold punishment in Vayikra are found in the context of Hashem's threat that He will purposefully hide His face from the nation: "וְאִם תֵּלְכוּ עִמִּי קֶרִי... וְהָלַכְתִּי אַף אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם בְּקֶרִי".‎ According to Keli Yekar, if the people don't recognize Hashem's providence but rather assume that what occurs to them is the product of chance, Hashem will punish them accordingly, and deliberately leave their fate to such chance.3  It is in such periods that nature takes over, allowing for "seven-fold" punishments.
Punishment in this world or the next? These sources might take one of two positions regarding the workings of the World to Come, in line with the different understandings of Divine providence above:
  • According to those who say that this world is generally run by nature, full justice is only meted out in the World to Come.  At that point, anyone who suffered excessively in this world is compensated.4
  • According to the approach that Hashem only hides His face due to the nation's sins, it is possible that the resulting afflictions are not compensated for in the Next World at all.  A lack of belief in Divine providence justifies the removal of that providence, even if this results in being punished out of proportion to one's crimes.
"אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי קָצַפְתִּי מְּעָט וְהֵמָּה עָזְרוּ לְרָעָה" – This verse in Zekharyah describes a reality in which other nations might punish Israel more than Hashem would have wanted, supporting the idea that Hashem does not always intervene to prevent undue punishment, and that sometimes the messengers chosen to inflict punishment go beyond their assignments.5  There are several examples of this throughout Tanakh:
  • Egypt – The decision to not only enslave the Israelites but also kill all firstborns has been understood by several sources6 as going beyond Hashem's decree of "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה".
  • Assyria – Yeshayahu 10:5-11 suggests that though Assyria had been appointed Hashem's "rod of wrath" they attacked Israel beyond what Hashem desired. While Hashem sent Assyria "to take spoils," she was intent on destruction, and as such merited her own punishment.7
Theodicy and collective punishment – The approach taken here has been used to explain other similar philosophical quandaries such as why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper, or why collective punishment is justified. These phenomena, too, can be understood as the result of natural order. For elaboration, see Theodicy – צדיק ורע לו and Collective Punishment.

Vicarious Punishment of Children

Hashem's system of justice allows for the vicarious (or collective) punishment of children for their parent's sins, resulting in undue suffering of the descendant.

Punishment Less Harsh than Appears

The verses' description of the punishment makes it sound worse than it really is.  As such, the nation did not really suffer more than deserved.

"כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד י"י כִּפְלַיִם בְּכׇל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ" – Though these sources agree that in reality the people did not suffer as much as the verse suggests, they differ in how they explain why the prophet makes it sound as if they did:
  • Exaggeration as comfort – According to most of these sources,8 when comforting another, it is natural to exaggerate the afflictions that the person suffered.9 Thus, Hashem, too, intentionally overstated the people's suffering so as to better comfort them.
  • Relative punishment – Ibn Ezra, in contrast, suggests that the prophet was simply speaking in relative terms.  Yeshayahu told the people that they received double the punishment that other nations received (presumably because they sinned more than others).10
"וְיָסַפְתִּי לְיַסְּרָה אֶתְכֶם שֶׁבַע עַל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם" – The same general possibilities mentioned above can be applied to the verse in Vayikra:
  • Exaggeration as threat – Hashem intentionally exaggerated when speaking of the punishment the people were to receive, so as to frighten them into obedience.
  • Relative punishment – According to Akeidat Yitzchak, the punishment mentioned is relative.  Hashem told the nation that if they did not improve their ways, they would be punished seven times the amount they had been punished previously.
  • Figurative language – It is also possible that the number seven is simply a way to express a large quantity. If so, Hashem might be warning that the people will deserve a large punishment, not that they will get seven times their due. 11
Biblical parallels
Divine providence – This position assumes that the world is run via Divine providence, and that Hashem would never let the collective of Israel suffer if not warranted. It is possible, however, that individual providence works differently, and though the collective always gets its just due, individual Israelites do not.
Theodicy – The approach presented here to explain disproportionate punishment can be applied to the more general issue of "צדיק ורע לו". Though it might seem that a righteous person is receiving "רע,"  it is possible that the evil is only perceived, and the suffering is only apparent.  For elaboration, see Theodicy – צדיק ורע לו.

Sin More Egregious than Appears

The sin for which the nation is punished is actually more severe than the verses makes it appear.  As such, the harsh punishment described is justified.

"וְיָסַפְתִּי לְיַסְּרָה אֶתְכֶם שֶׁבַע עַל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם" – Most of these sources claim that the seven-fold punishment is measure for measure punishment for the nation's seven-fold transgression.12 As such, there is a one to one correspondence between sin and punishment, not seven to one.13
"כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד י"י כִּפְלַיִם בְּכׇל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ" – Radak14 explains that the "double punishment" refers to the two exiles, each a punishment for its own set of sins. The nation's many crimes (כׇל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ) merited them two stints in exile.  According to this reading, the prophecy of Yeshayahu speaks of Messianic times. Yeshayahu comforts the nation by telling them that since they have already suffered through two exilic periods, their punishment is finally complete, and the final redemption is at hand.
"Seven" and "Double": Literal or figurative? These sources read each of the terms literally, suggesting that Hashem speaks of either seven or two punishments (and not simply "many" punishments), to match either seven or two sets of sins.
Who is punished? The commentaries on Vayikra understand the punishment to be inflicted on one generation, who has itself erred in multiple ways, while Radak on Yeshayahu assumes that the prophet is speaking of the nation's sins and retribution during two distinct generations.
Divine providence – This approach assumes that Hashem watches over the nation to punish it exactly as it deserves, and no more.  As these verses speak only on the national level, however, it is not clear if these sources would say the same regarding individual providence.
World to Come – The existence of a World to Come does not preclude justice in this world; thus Hashem never punishes Israel unduly.  It is also possible that the World to Come is reserved for individual justice, while all justice pertaining to the nation as a whole must be meted out already in this world.