Rabbi Daniel: Thoughts on Torah

Dear friends,

The first aliyah of the third triennial section of Torah readings for this coming week (Deuteronomy chapter 24: 14-16) raises an important point about generations being responsible for one another.  

Verse 16 says:

לֹֽא־יוּמְת֤וּ אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־יוּמְת֣וּ עַל־אָב֑וֹת אִ֥ישׁ בְּחֶטְא֖וֹ יוּמָֽתוּ׃ {ס}  

Parents shall not be put to death for children, nor children be put to death for parents: they shall each be put to death only for their own crime.
 
The 12th century Spanish commentator Ibn Ezra brings up the apparent textual contradiction between this verse and the one in Exodus.  
 “How could Scripture say: The fathers shall not be put to death…when it says in another place, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children (Ex. 20:5; Deut. 5:9)?” Their question is nonsense, for the fathers shall not he put to death for the children is a commandment directed 

to Israel. However, God is the one who metes out punishment in visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children.    

As you can see, Ibn Ezra doesn't see a contradiction because in one case we are speaking about the human realm and in the other case we are speaking about God's domain - unlike us, God can do as God feels God needs to do.  We appreciate Ibn Ezra's explanation of difference but it does seem like there is a conflict in values over the question of children suffering for the sins of their parents and vice versa.  One thing we have to remember is that Deuteronomy often puts forward a different theological worldview than the other four books of the Torah, so a contradiction of values between one text in Deuteronomy and one in Exodus makes some sense.  Fortunately at least one prophet appears to follow the position of Deuteronomy:

הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַחֹטֵ֖את הִ֣יא תָמ֑וּת בֵּ֞ן לֹא־יִשָּׂ֣א ׀ בַּעֲוֺ֣ן הָאָ֗ב וְאָב֙ לֹ֤א יִשָּׂא֙ בַּעֲוֺ֣ן הַבֵּ֔ן צִדְקַ֤ת הַצַּדִּיק֙ עָלָ֣יו תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וְרִשְׁעַ֥ת (רשע) [הָרָשָׁ֖ע] עָלָ֥יו תִּֽהְיֶֽה׃ {ס}  

Only the person who sins shall die. A child shall not share the burden of a parent’s guilt, nor shall a parent share the burden of a child’s guilt; the righteousness of the righteous shall be accounted to them alone, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be accounted to them alone. - Ezekiel 19-20

In the end, I think Ezekiel's position ought to be the most enduring, yet in real life there are times when one generation does in fact pay for the sins of previous generations, for example with the environment.  How often are we reminded that the consequences of how we mistreat the environment today may not be seen during our lifetime, but that future generations will have to clean up our mess?  As we know from Jewish folklore, one of our objectives coming into this world ought to be making it better, not worse, for those who come after us.       

- Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Daniel