Manifold Punishment/2

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.

Sources:Keli YekarVayikra 26:18About R. Shelomo Ephraim Luntschitz, ר׳ שלמה מאריגיcited by Shadal Yeshayahu 40:2About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto,

"כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד י"י כִּפְלַיִם בְּכׇל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ" – According to R. Shelomo, 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 her 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 sins.

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 might be unlimited and undiscerning, leading to destruction of righteous and wicked alike.
• 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 hide His face from the nation: "וְאִם תֵּלְכוּ עִמִּי קֶרִי... וְהָלַכְתִּי אַף אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם בְּקֶרִי".‎ Keli Yekar explains that Hashem is saying that if the people don't recognize His providence but assume that what occurs to them is the product of chance, Hashem will punish them accordingly, and actually leave them to such chance.²  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.³
• 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 Zecharya 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.⁴ 

• Egyptian bondage – Several sources⁵ explain that the Egyptians were punished for their treatment of the Israelites, despite their fulfilling a Divine command, because they went beyond the decree of enslavement and also attempted to exterminate the people.

"נתנה רשות למחבל" – A similar idea is expressed in this phrase. Once Hashem unleashes His messengers to destroy, they might be unlimited, leading to destruction of righteous and wicked alike.⁶

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.

Sources:Rashi, R. Yosef KimchiYirmeyahu 16:18, RalbagYehoshua 7:1About R. Levi b. Gershom, AbarbanelYeshayahu 40:2About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel #3,

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.

Sources:perhaps RashbamVayikra 26:18About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraVayikra 26:18Yeshayahu 40:2About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Eliezer of BeaugencyYeshayahu 40:2About R. Eliezer of Beaugency, Akeidat YitzchakTorah 37Torah 70Torah 88About R. Yitzchak Arama, AbarbanelYeshayahu 40:2About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, ShadalYeshayahu 40:2About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, MalbimYeshayahu Beur HaInyan 40:2About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

"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,⁷ when comforting another, it is natural to exaggerate the afflictions that the person suffered.⁸ 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).⁹

"וְיָסַפְתִּי לְיַסְּרָה אֶתְכֶם שֶׁבַע עַל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם" – The same general possibilities mentioned above can be applied to the verse in Vayikra as well.

• 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.

"Seven" and "Double": Literal or figurative? According to this position these terms can be understood either literally or to mean "a lot".

Biblical parallels

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.

Sources:Sifra Vayikra26:18About the Sifra Vayikra, Eikhah RabbahIntroductionAbout Eikhah Rabbah, RashiVayikra 26:18About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorVayikra 26:18About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RadakYeshayahu 40:2About R. David Kimchi, Paneach RazaVayikra 26:18About R. Yitzchak b. Yehuda, AbarbanelYeshayahu 40:2About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel #2, Or HaChayyimVayikra 26:18About R. Chayyim b. Atar

"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.¹⁰ As such, there is a one to one correspondence between sin and punishment, not seven to one.¹¹

"כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד י"י כִּפְלַיִם בְּכׇל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ" – Radak¹² 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.

¹ Despite that the double punishment is inflicted by humans, the verse might nonetheless use the language of  "מִיַּד י"י" because Hashem was the one who started the process.

² According to Keli Yekar, the word "קֶרִי"  is related to the word "מקרה," happenstance.

³ One might still question why it is just to defer proper reward rather than receive it immediately.

⁴ Yeshayahu 10:5-11 similarly suggests that Assyria attacked Israel beyond what Hashem desired. While Hashem sent him only "to take spoils" he was intent on destruction.  See also RadakYeshayahu 52:4About R. David Kimchi on Yeshayahu 52:4 who explains the phrase, "וְאַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ" to mean that Assyria afflicted Israel unjustly, for no reason.  Despite the Divine decree against the people, the Assyrians merited punishment because they went beyond Hashem's intentions.

⁵ See Shemot Rabbah, RadakBereshit 15:14About R. David Kimchi, and the Raavad and Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice.

⁶ See Rashi who understands the command to the nation during the Plague of Firstborns: "וְאַתֶּם לֹא תֵצְאוּ אִישׁ מִפֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ עַד בֹּקֶר" in light of this phenomenon. Hashem tells the nation to stay indoors since once the "משחית" was given permission to destroy, it would not differentiate between Egyptiand Jew unless they stayed put in their marked homes.

⁷ See R. Eliezer of Beaugency, Akeidat Yitzchak, Abarbanel, and Shadal.

⁸ Abarbanel points out that an individual does not want to hear that they deserve their punishment, but rather that their suffering was more than their due. Thus, Iyyov was not comforted by his friends who told him his suffering was just retribution for sins.

⁹ Malbim raises a third possibility – that the people received double the punishment but for half the time.  Thus, if they were supposed to suffer 50 lashes a day over 10 years, they instead received 100 a day over 5 years.  He compares this to the enslavement in Egypt.  Though the people were supposed to be in Egypt for 400 years, they were instead there for only 210 years, but under much harsher conditions.

¹⁰ See the lists brought by R. Yosef Bekhor ShorVayikra 26:18About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor and Or HaChayyimVayikra 26:18About R. Chayyim b. Atar. Each points to the immediately preceding verses in Vayikra, which speak of various iniquities committed by the nations.

¹¹ The phrase "וְיָסַפְתִּי לְיַסְּרָה אֶתְכֶם שֶׁבַע עַל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם" appears three times in Vayikra 26 (verses 18, 24 and 28) ) and one final time (verse 21) with a slight difference, "וְיָסַפְתִּי .עֲלֵיכֶם מַכָּה שֶׁבַע כְּחַטֹּאתֵיכֶם" This version of the phrase might support the idea that the punishment was measure for measure - seven times, just like your (seven) sins.

¹² See also the second possibility raised by Abarbanel.