Difference between revisions of "Are Children Punished for Parents' Sins/1/en"
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<page type="Introduction"> | <page type="Introduction"> | ||
<h1>Are Children Punished for Parents' Sins?</h1> | <h1>Are Children Punished for Parents' Sins?</h1> | ||
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<h2>Vexing Moral Issues</h2> | <h2>Vexing Moral Issues</h2> | ||
− | <p>Two famous passages from the Decalogue<fn>The text below is from Shemot 20. In the parallel verses in < | + | <p>Two famous passages from the Decalogue<fn>The text below is from Shemot 20. In the parallel verses in <a href="Devarim5-8" data-aht="source">Devarim 5:9</a>, there are three small orthographic differences (all related to the letter "ו") in the words "אָב<b>וֹ</b>ת",‎ "<b>וְ</b>עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים", and "מִצְוֹתָ<b>ו</b>".</fn> and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy<fn>The text below is from Shemot 34 where the Attributes are first transmitted to Moshe. A condensed version appears in Moshe's prayer in <a href="Bemidbar14-17" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 14:18</a>, where "אֵ-ל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן",‎ "וֶאֱמֶת",‎ "נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים",‎ "וְחַטָּאָה",‎ and "וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים" are all omitted, while the central theme remains intact.</fn> use virtually identical language to describe Hashem's methods of administering justice:<fn>There are also some noteworthy discrepancies between these two passages: |
− | <ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha"> | + | <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> |
− | + | <li>Shemot 20 contains the qualifying terms of "לְשֹׂנְאָי" and "לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי" which do not appear in Shemot 34.</li> | |
− | + | <li>Shemot 34 adds "נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה".</li> | |
− | + | <li>The context of Shemot 20 is the sin of idolatry, and thus the description there of how Hashem punishes precedes the description of how He rewards. In contrast, the focus of Shemot 34 is mercy and forgiveness, and the order of Hashem's attributes is reversed.</li> | |
− | + | <li>Shemot 34 inserts "וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים" in the middle of the list of punished generations (Bemidbar 14, though, reads like the Decalogue).</li> | |
− | </ol> | + | </ol></fn></p> |
− | </fn></p> | ||
<multilang> | <multilang> | ||
+ | <table dir="rtl" xml:lang="he"> | ||
+ | |||
+ | <tr style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"> | ||
+ | <td>עשרת הדברות (שמות כ':ה'-ו')</td> | ||
+ | <td>שלוש עשרה מידות (שמות ל"ד:ו'-ז')</td> | ||
+ | </tr> | ||
+ | <tr> | ||
+ | <td>לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי ה' אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ אֵ-ל קַנָּא <span style="color: red;">פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבֹת עַל בָּנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים</span> לְשֹׂנְאָי. וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי.</td> | ||
+ | <td>וַיַּעֲבֹר ה' עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא ה' ה' אֵ-ל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת. נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה <span style="color: red;">פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים.</span></td> | ||
+ | </tr> | ||
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</table> | </table> | ||
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<table xml:lang="en"> | <table xml:lang="en"> | ||
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− | </ | + | <tr style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"> |
+ | <td>Decalogue (Shemot 20:5-6)</td> | ||
+ | <td>13 Attributes of Mercy (Shemot 34:6-7)</td> | ||
+ | </tr> | ||
+ | <tr> | ||
+ | <td>You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, Hashem, your God, am a jealous God, <span style="color: red;">visiting the iniquity of parents on children, on third generations, and on fourth generations,</span> of those who hate Me, but doing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.</td> | ||
+ | <td>And Hashem passed over before his face, and called: 'Hashem, Hashem, the God of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness and truth, maintaining kindness to thousands, forgiving iniquity, and wickedness, and sin, yet not acquitting entirely, <span style="color: red;">visiting the iniquity of parents on children, and on grandchildren, on third generations, and on fourth generations.'</span></td> | ||
+ | </tr> | ||
− | <br/> | + | </table> |
− | + | </multilang><br/> | |
− | <p>Both of these verses describe how the sin of parents is ultimately followed by the punishment of their descendants. | + | <p>Both of these verses describe how the sin of parents is ultimately followed by the punishment of their descendants. As they give no explicit indication that the children sinned<fn>The question of whether also the children sinned hinges, at least in part, on whether "לְשֹׂנְאָי" (which appears only in Shemot 20 and not in Shemot 34) refers to the parent, his offspring, or both.</fn> or that the parents receive any punishment,<fn>Cf. "וְשַׂמְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת פָּנַי בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא וּבְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ" in <a href="Vayikra20-1" data-aht="source">Vayikra 20:5</a>, and see <a href="2#VicariousPunishment" data-aht="subpage">Approaches</a> for <multilink><a href="HaMeamerVayikra20-5" data-aht="source">HaMeamer</a><a href="HaMeamerVayikra20-5" data-aht="source">Vayikra 20:5</a><a href="R. Meir Wolf (HaMeamer)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Meir Wolf</a></multilink>'s interpretation. Exegetes who claim that also the parents are punished in the verses in Shemot would maintain that the point of these verses is to emphasize God's wrath in exacting retribution not just from the sinner but also from his descendants. Whether "פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת" constitutes an attribute of mercy or vengeance will be discussed in <a href="2" data-aht="subpage">Approaches</a>.<p>Additional questions which impact the understanding of these verses include: |
− | <ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha"> | + | </p><ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha"> |
− | <li>Do the terms "אָבוֹת" and " | + | <li>Do the terms "אָבוֹת" and "בָּנִים" refer to individual sinners or to successive generations of the entire nation?</li> |
<li>What form of penalty do the descendants receive, and is this really more of a punishment for their parents?</li> | <li>What form of penalty do the descendants receive, and is this really more of a punishment for their parents?</li> | ||
<li>Does the principle of justice presented in these verses apply across the board or only to specific sins?</li> | <li>Does the principle of justice presented in these verses apply across the board or only to specific sins?</li> | ||
<li>Is the punishment visited upon all subsequent generations or only upon the fourth generation?</li> | <li>Is the punishment visited upon all subsequent generations or only upon the fourth generation?</li> | ||
− | </ol></p></fn> these texts ostensibly lead one to the conclusion that Hashem defers the dispensation of justice and punishes innocent generations of the sinner's descendants in place of the sinner himself. | + | </ol><p></p></fn> these texts ostensibly lead one to the conclusion that Hashem defers the dispensation of justice and punishes innocent generations of the sinner's descendants in place of the sinner himself. This understanding, while supported by various other Biblical passages,<fn>There are a number of different categories of verses:<ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha"> |
− | <li>For children being punished for the sins of their parents, see < | + | <li>For children being punished for the sins of their parents, see <a href="Vayikra20-1" data-aht="source">Vayikra 20:5</a> regarding the Molekh worshipper and his family, <a href="Yeshayahu14-21" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 14:21</a>, <a href="Yirmeyahu32-18" data-aht="source">Yirmeyahu 32:18</a>, and <a href="Eikhah5-7" data-aht="source">Eikhah 5:7</a>. In the latter three passages, it is certainly possible that the children are being punished in place of their parents, and see <a href="2" data-aht="subpage">Approaches</a> for <multilink><a href="HaMeamerVayikra20-5" data-aht="source">HaMeamer</a><a href="HaMeamerVayikra20-5" data-aht="source">Vayikra 20:5</a><a href="R. Meir Wolf (HaMeamer)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Meir Wolf</a></multilink>'s interpretation of the verse in Vayikra.</li> |
− | <li>For children being punished both for the sins of their parents as well as for their own sins, see < | + | <li>For children being punished both for the sins of their parents as well as for their own sins, see <a href="Vayikra26-39" data-aht="source">Vayikra 26:39-40</a>, <a href="Yeshayahu65-7" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 65:7</a>, <a href="Yirmeyahu14-20" data-aht="source">Yirmeyahu 14:20</a>, <a href="Tehillim109-14" data-aht="source">Tehillim 109:14</a>, <a href="Daniel9-16" data-aht="source">Daniel 9:16</a>, <a href="Nechemyah9-2" data-aht="source">Nechemyah 9:2</a>.</li> |
<li>For the possibility that the terms "כרת" and "ערירי" refer to the death of the sinner's descendants, see <a href="$">Karet</a>.</li> | <li>For the possibility that the terms "כרת" and "ערירי" refer to the death of the sinner's descendants, see <a href="$">Karet</a>.</li> | ||
<li>For Biblical stories which reflect the implementation of deferred, collective, and vicarious punishment, see below.</li> | <li>For Biblical stories which reflect the implementation of deferred, collective, and vicarious punishment, see below.</li> | ||
− | </ol></fn> raises several troubling theological questions:<fn>These difficulties are inherent in the transferring of the punishment to the descendants, not in the mere deferring of the punishment. To some extent, they are a specific subset of the larger questions of "צדיק ורע לו" and "רשע וטוב לו", and many of the approaches overlap. Cf. the <multilink><aht | + | </ol></fn> raises several troubling theological questions:<fn>These difficulties are inherent in the transferring of the punishment to the descendants, not in the mere deferring of the punishment. To some extent, they are a specific subset of the larger questions of "צדיק ורע לו" and "רשע וטוב לו", and many of the approaches overlap. Cf. the <multilink><a href="BavliBerakhot7a" data-aht="source">Talmud Bavli</a><a href="BavliBerakhot7a" data-aht="source">Berakhot 7a</a><a href="Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink> which utilizes those formulations in this context.</fn></p> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
− | + | <li><b>Familial collective punishment</b> – Do these verses advocate a form of collective punishment in which innocent children suffer for sins which they didn't commit?<fn>Even if "לְשֹׂנְאָי" implies that the sinner's family continues in his path, this would only explain why they should be punished for their own sins, and would not explain their being punished for the actions of their ancestor.</fn></li> | |
− | + | <li><b>Intergenerational collective punishment</b> – While collective punishment generally expands the scope of the punishment horizontally to include others alive at the time of the infraction,<fn>In some cases the logic may be that the community bears responsibility for abetting or at least not preventing the culprit from committing the crime. For more, see <a href="Philosophy:Collective Punishment" data-aht="page">Collective Punishment</a>.</fn> these passages extend it vertically to subsequent generations. But why should later generations pay the price for crimes that they might not have even been alive to witness?<fn>It is possible to interpret the verses of "פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת" as saying that punishment is limited only to the generations who are alive during the lifetime of the sinner, but it is difficult to say that in all cases four generations were alive at the time of the sin.</fn></li> | |
− | + | <li><b>Vicarious punishment</b> – Even collective punishment only widens the circle of those punished, but does not absolve the sinner. Yet, in the above verses the Torah seems to imply that the sinner himself will escape personal harm<fn>See <a href="Shemot34-6" data-aht="source">Shemot 34:7</a> which states that Hashem is "נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה" before describing the punishment of subsequent generations.</fn> and will be punished only vicariously through his descendants. How does this manifest Divine justice?</li> | |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
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<h2>Contradictory Texts</h2> | <h2>Contradictory Texts</h2> | ||
<p>The principles of deferred, collective, and vicarious punishment implied by the above passages appear to place them in direct conflict with several other Biblical texts:</p> | <p>The principles of deferred, collective, and vicarious punishment implied by the above passages appear to place them in direct conflict with several other Biblical texts:</p> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
− | + | <li><a href="Devarim7-9" data-aht="source">Devarim 7:10</a> states that Hashem immediately metes out justice to the sinner himself.<fn>It is noteworthy that <a href="Devarim7-9" data-aht="source">Devarim 7:9</a> which speaks of the reward for the righteous is almost identical to the Decalogue.</fn></li> | |
− | + | <li><a href="Devarim24-16" data-aht="source">Devarim 24:16</a> commands that children are not to be put to death for the sins of parents, but rather each person should be held responsible for their own actions.<fn>This question is posed by the <multilink><a href="MidrashTannaim24" data-aht="source">Midrash Tannaim</a><a href="MidrashTannaim24" data-aht="source">Devarim 24:16</a><a href="Midrash Tannaim" data-aht="parshan">About Midrash Tannaim</a></multilink> and <multilink><a href="BavliBerakhot7a" data-aht="source">Talmud Bavli</a><a href="BavliBerakhot7a" data-aht="source">Berakhot 7a</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin27b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 27b</a><a href="Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>.</fn></li> | |
− | + | <li><a href="Yirmeyahu31-28" data-aht="source">Yirmeyahu 31:28-29</a> prophesies how when Hashem redeems the Children of Israel, it will no longer be said that children are penalized for the sins of parents.</li> | |
− | + | <li><a href="Yechezkel18" data-aht="source">Yechezkel 18</a> describes in unequivocal terms the system of Divine justice, according to which only the sinner is punished, and no son is held liable for the wickedness of his father.<fn>This question is the backdrop for the statement in <multilink><a href="BavliMakkot24a" data-aht="source">Bavli Makkot</a><a href="BavliMakkot24a" data-aht="source">Makkot 24a</a><a href="Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink> that Yechezkel annulled the Torah's principle of "פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת".</fn></li> | |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
− | + | <p>What is the relationship between the two texts from Shemot<fn>This question applies equally to the collection of assorted Biblical texts cited in the note above which also imply the existence of collective or vicarious punishment.</fn> and these four other Biblical texts? Can all of these passages be harmonized? Must any of them be reinterpreted? Does Hashem employ contrasting principles of justice in different situations? Is there a distinction between the Divine and human judicial systems? Is it possible that Hashem's doctrine of justice changed at some point in history, and if so, why?</p> | |
− | <p>What is the relationship between the two texts from Shemot<fn>This question applies equally to the collection of assorted Biblical texts cited in the note above which also imply the existence of collective or vicarious punishment.</fn> and these four other Biblical texts? | ||
<h2>The Historical Record</h2> | <h2>The Historical Record</h2> | ||
− | <p>There are many cases in Tanakh which reflect the fulfillment of various facets of the principle of " | + | <p>There are many cases in Tanakh which reflect the fulfillment of various facets of the principle of "פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים":</p> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
− | + | <li><b>Deferred punishment of the sinner</b> – In the cases of the <a href="Shemot32-33" data-aht="source">Golden Calf</a><fn>The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy were first given in the context of the atonement for this sin. See also the similar language of "וּבְיוֹם <b>פָּקְדִי וּפָקַדְתִּי</b> עֲלֵהֶם חַטָּאתָם".</fn> and the generation of the <a href="Bemidbar14-17" data-aht="source">Spies</a>,<fn>While the generation of the Exodus perished over the course of the forty years in the wilderness, <a href="Bemidbar14-37" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 14:37</a> implies that the Spies themselves died immediately. There is room to question whether the forty years in the wilderness was a punishment more for the generation which perished (but lived out their lives) or for their children who had to sit and wait out the process.</fn> punishment was postponed but ultimately meted out to the sinners themselves.</li> | |
− | + | <li><b>Familial collective punishment</b><fn>For cases of general collective punishment or destruction which do not specifically target family members, see <a href="Philosophy:Collective Punishment" data-aht="page">Collective Punishment</a>.</fn> – In the stories of <a href="Bemidbar16-27" data-aht="source">Datan and Aviram</a> and <a href="Amos7-10" data-aht="source">Amatzyah the priest of Beit El</a>, it appears that Hashem punished their children along with them.<fn>This is indicated by <a href="Bemidbar16-27" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 16:27-33</a> and <a href="Devarim11-6" data-aht="source">Devarim 11:6</a>. In contrast, <a href="Bemidbar26-11" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 26:11</a> states explicitly that the sons of Korach did not perish, and Korach's descendants later become prominent Levites. Regarding Korach, Ramban and Ralbag emphasize that no innocent family members perished.</fn> In the instances of <a href="Yehoshua7-24" data-aht="source">Akhan</a><fn>This appears to be the simple reading of <a href="Yehoshua7-24" data-aht="source">Yehoshua 7:24-25</a>. However, many commentators reinterpret these verses. See Bavli Sanhedrin 44a that the children were only brought to witness the execution, and see <a href="PirkeiDeRabbiEliezer38" data-aht="source">Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 38</a> and <multilink><a href="RadakYehoshua7-15" data-aht="source">Radak Yehoshua 7:15</a><a href="RadakYehoshua7-15" data-aht="source">Yehoshua 7:15</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink> who say that the children were killed only because they were complicit in the crime. For more, see <a href="2" data-aht="subpage">Exegetical Approaches</a> and <a href="$">Akhan's Children</a>.</fn> and <a href="Shofetim21-10" data-aht="source">Yavesh Gilad</a>, the Israelites seemingly kill children along with the guilty parents.<fn>See also <a href="2" data-aht="subpage">Exegetical Approaches</a> for the dispute regarding the case of the <a href="Devarim13-13" data-aht="source">עיר הנדחת</a>.</fn></li> | |
− | + | <li><b>Intergenerational collective punishment</b> – In the cases of <a href="ShemuelI2-27" data-aht="source">Eli</a> and <a href="MelakhimII5-27" data-aht="source">Geichazi</a>,<fn>However, see <multilink><a href="RadakMelakhimII5-27" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakMelakhimII5-27" data-aht="source">Melakhim II 5:27</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink> who says that only the sons of Geichazi who had abetted his actions were punished, and not their descendants.</fn> Hashem ostensibly punishes them and all of their future descendants.<fn>In <a href="ShemuelII3-29" data-aht="source">Shemuel II 3:29</a>, David calls for Yoav's household to be similarly punished.</fn></li> | |
− | + | <li><b>Immediate vicarious punishment</b> – In the examples of <a href="ShemuelII12-10" data-aht="source">David and Batsheva</a> and <multilink><a href="MelakhimI16-34" data-aht="source">Chiel Beit HaEli</a><a href="Yehoshua6-26" data-aht="source">Yehoshua 6:26</a><a href="MelakhimI16-34" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 16:34</a></multilink>,<fn>The death of the sons is not explicit in these verses, but is implied by context.</fn> Hashem kills the children instead of the parents.<fn>See also <a href="ShemuelII24-15" data-aht="source">David's Census</a> where the nation is punished for the sin of its leader. R. Saadia, however, attempts to reinterpret this episode – see <a href="2" data-aht="subpage">Exegetical Approaches</a>.</fn></li> | |
− | + | <li><b>Intergenerational vicarious punishment</b> – In the cases of <a href="MelakhimI15-29" data-aht="source">Yorovam</a>, <a href="MelakhimI21-20" data-aht="source">Achav</a>,<fn>In this case, while the full implementation of the punishment is deferred, Achav himself is punished – see <a href="MelakhimI22-35-38" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 22:35-38</a>.</fn> <a href="MelakhimII20-16" data-aht="source">Chizkiyahu</a>, and <a href="MelakhimII23-25" data-aht="source">Menashe</a>,<fn>See also <a href="MelakhimII21-10-15" data-aht="source">Melakhim II 21:10-15</a> and <a href="Yirmeyahu15-4" data-aht="source">Yirmeyahu 15:4</a>.</fn> the Divine punishment for their actions is realized only during future generations.<fn>See also the need for the delayed punishment of the <a href="Bereshit15-16" data-aht="source">Amorites</a> in the Covenant of the Pieces.</fn> The same is true in the story of <a href="ShemuelII21-1" data-aht="source">Shaul's descendants and the Givonim</a>, in which punishment is exacted from Shaul's descendants after his death.</li> | |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
− | <p> | + | <p>One of the challenges is to explain why the principle is implemented in so many different ways. When is the punishment delayed and when is it exacted immediately? Why in some cases is just the sinner himself penalized, in others only his descendants pay the price, and in additional ones both the sinner and his offspring are punished? And what determines whether the punishment will be visited upon the second generation, the fourth generation, or upon all future generations for eternity?</p> |
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</page> | </page> | ||
</aht-xml> | </aht-xml> |
Latest revision as of 00:52, 5 September 2019
Are Children Punished for Parents' Sins?
Introduction
Vexing Moral Issues
Two famous passages from the Decalogue1 and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy2 use virtually identical language to describe Hashem's methods of administering justice:3
עשרת הדברות (שמות כ':ה'-ו') | שלוש עשרה מידות (שמות ל"ד:ו'-ז') |
לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי ה' אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ אֵ-ל קַנָּא פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבֹת עַל בָּנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים לְשֹׂנְאָי. וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי. | וַיַּעֲבֹר ה' עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא ה' ה' אֵ-ל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת. נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים. |
Decalogue (Shemot 20:5-6) | 13 Attributes of Mercy (Shemot 34:6-7) |
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, Hashem, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of parents on children, on third generations, and on fourth generations, of those who hate Me, but doing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. | And Hashem passed over before his face, and called: 'Hashem, Hashem, the God of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness and truth, maintaining kindness to thousands, forgiving iniquity, and wickedness, and sin, yet not acquitting entirely, visiting the iniquity of parents on children, and on grandchildren, on third generations, and on fourth generations.' |
Both of these verses describe how the sin of parents is ultimately followed by the punishment of their descendants. As they give no explicit indication that the children sinned4 or that the parents receive any punishment,5 these texts ostensibly lead one to the conclusion that Hashem defers the dispensation of justice and punishes innocent generations of the sinner's descendants in place of the sinner himself. This understanding, while supported by various other Biblical passages,6 raises several troubling theological questions:7
- Familial collective punishment – Do these verses advocate a form of collective punishment in which innocent children suffer for sins which they didn't commit?8
- Intergenerational collective punishment – While collective punishment generally expands the scope of the punishment horizontally to include others alive at the time of the infraction,9 these passages extend it vertically to subsequent generations. But why should later generations pay the price for crimes that they might not have even been alive to witness?10
- Vicarious punishment – Even collective punishment only widens the circle of those punished, but does not absolve the sinner. Yet, in the above verses the Torah seems to imply that the sinner himself will escape personal harm11 and will be punished only vicariously through his descendants. How does this manifest Divine justice?
Contradictory Texts
The principles of deferred, collective, and vicarious punishment implied by the above passages appear to place them in direct conflict with several other Biblical texts:
- Devarim 7:10 states that Hashem immediately metes out justice to the sinner himself.12
- Devarim 24:16 commands that children are not to be put to death for the sins of parents, but rather each person should be held responsible for their own actions.13
- Yirmeyahu 31:28-29 prophesies how when Hashem redeems the Children of Israel, it will no longer be said that children are penalized for the sins of parents.
- Yechezkel 18 describes in unequivocal terms the system of Divine justice, according to which only the sinner is punished, and no son is held liable for the wickedness of his father.14
What is the relationship between the two texts from Shemot15 and these four other Biblical texts? Can all of these passages be harmonized? Must any of them be reinterpreted? Does Hashem employ contrasting principles of justice in different situations? Is there a distinction between the Divine and human judicial systems? Is it possible that Hashem's doctrine of justice changed at some point in history, and if so, why?
The Historical Record
There are many cases in Tanakh which reflect the fulfillment of various facets of the principle of "פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים":
- Deferred punishment of the sinner – In the cases of the Golden Calf16 and the generation of the Spies,17 punishment was postponed but ultimately meted out to the sinners themselves.
- Familial collective punishment18 – In the stories of Datan and Aviram and Amatzyah the priest of Beit El, it appears that Hashem punished their children along with them.19 In the instances of Akhan20 and Yavesh Gilad, the Israelites seemingly kill children along with the guilty parents.21
- Intergenerational collective punishment – In the cases of Eli and Geichazi,22 Hashem ostensibly punishes them and all of their future descendants.23
- Immediate vicarious punishment – In the examples of David and Batsheva and Chiel Beit HaEli,24 Hashem kills the children instead of the parents.25
- Intergenerational vicarious punishment – In the cases of Yorovam, Achav,26 Chizkiyahu, and Menashe,27 the Divine punishment for their actions is realized only during future generations.28 The same is true in the story of Shaul's descendants and the Givonim, in which punishment is exacted from Shaul's descendants after his death.
One of the challenges is to explain why the principle is implemented in so many different ways. When is the punishment delayed and when is it exacted immediately? Why in some cases is just the sinner himself penalized, in others only his descendants pay the price, and in additional ones both the sinner and his offspring are punished? And what determines whether the punishment will be visited upon the second generation, the fourth generation, or upon all future generations for eternity?