Biblical Parallels Index – Devarim 21
Overview
This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.Rebellious Sons
The unusual case of the rebellious son who is liable for the death penalty calls to mind other stories of rebellious children, such as the story of the banishment of Yishmael. In the latter story, Yishmael, though expelled, is nonetheless saved from death, making one question what Tanakh thinks is the appropriate response to rebellion. The contrast between two stories is especially interesting in light of Rabbinnic interpretations of each passage. Some claim that the "rebellious son" of Devarim is judged so harshly due to his future actions (נידון על שם סופו). Simultaneously, though, there are opinions that Yishmael was saved precisely because he was judged only for his present actions (and that one cannot judge him "על שם סופו").
Articles
- Listen to Ki Teitzei: The Wayward Son vs. Yishmael, by R. Daniel Glatstein, for analysis of the reason for the different outcomes in both stories.
- See Judging the Rebellious Child, by Rivka Kahan, which grapples with the question of how one can be judged for actions not yet undertaken and how this fits with the notion of "free will". Mrs. Kahan surveys a few approaches to the issue found in the writings of commentators, and concludes that the Talmud's attestation that no one ever was or will be judged a "rebellious son" implies that the Talmud, too, recognizes that there can never be a case in which it is legitimate to make assumptions about a person’s future choices.