Children suffering for the sins of their parents?

Hi,

A stark, intellectual view of the way the universe works:

"It is possible, without any impropriety, for chance to cause children to suffer punishment for parental sin; there is no impropriety (עוול) involved, at all. 

"If a person were to sin against the government and they would punish him justly, such that he would lose his wealth, this would cause punishment for his children, who would be paupers and would not inherit anything that they had been due to receive from their father's assets."

(Commentary of Ralbag to Yehoshua 7:1)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Collective responsibility

Hi,

In Joshua 7, the Jewish nation suffers military defeat, and it is blamed on the sin of an individual, Achan. Some commentators explain that collective responsibility is a natural function of the Jewish nation. For example:

"All Israel are bound together as one body, such that each individual will relate to the community as a limb of the body relates to the body. Just as illness or destruction of one limb causes illness or a defect in the entire body, so, too, when Achan took from the spoils it was considered as though the entire nation had trespassed..."

(Commentary of Malbim to Yehoshua 7:1)

"It is possible, without any impropriety, for chance to cause children to suffer punishment for parental sin; this will not involve impropriety at all. For example: If a person were to sin against the government and they would punish him justly, such that he would lose his wealth, this wwould cause punishment for his children, who would be paupers and would not inherit anything that they had been due to receive from their father's assets."

(Commentary of Ralbag to Yehoshua 7:1)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Gratitude for gratitude's sake

Hi,

"One should not cheat anyone of their reward; reward must be paid for every good deed. 

"Thus Yehoshua instructed that Rachav and her household be kept alive, and he explained that this was because she had hid the spies sent by Yehoshua. He did not say it was because of the oath the spies had taken [to save her]."

והוא שאין ראוי שיקפח שכר כל בריה אך ראוי שישולם גמול על כל מעשה טוב ולזה תמצא שצוה יהושע להחיות רחב וכל אשר אתה בבית ונתן הסבה בזה כי החבאתה את המלאכים אשר שלח יהושע ולא נתן הסבה בזה שבועת המרגלים לה.

(Ralbag to Yehoshua 8:29, Lesson 10)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

How to educate

Hi,

"Harms that come to instill rebuke are not effective; you see that the Jews were not humbled before Gd by the halting of dew and rain for three years."

(Ralbag to Melachim I 19:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai