Reward and Punishment/2
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Reward and Punishment
Exegetical Approaches
Individual Recompense in Both Worlds
Individuals are compensated for their actions both in this world and the next world.
Total or partial compensation?
Individual Reward only in Next World
Individuals receive their just desserts only in the next world. The rewards of this world are meted out only to the collective.
Collective nature of Biblical blessings – Many of the blessings and curses listed in Torah, such as war/peace, rain/drought, prosperity/famine,1 are those which naturally affect the collective, supporting the idea that they are aimed at the nation as a whole. Some verses even explicitly refer to the nation's status, noting how outsiders will look upon its fate (for good or bad), again butressing the idea that the rewards are aimed at the group rather than the individual.
Honoring Parents: "לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכֻן יָמֶיךָ וּלְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ"
"וְשַׂמְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת פָּנַי בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא"
Physical Blessings
Why not reward the individual in this world?
Philosophical motivations
Nature of עולם הבא
Why isn't עולם הבא mentioned in the Torah?
Purpose of rewards / punishments
Is it problematic to hope for reward?
Changing Rewards
Hashem's modes of providence have changed over time. As the nation gradually moved from a miraculous to natural existence, Hashem's overt providence became covert. Immediate reward and punishment, thus, slowly disappeared over the First Temple period.
"עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ"
No Rewards
The blessings promised in the Torah should be viewed as enablers or natural consequences rather than rewards.
