Essay zu Dewarim 21:18
כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֣ה לְאִ֗ישׁ בֵּ֚ן סוֹרֵ֣ר וּמוֹרֶ֔ה אֵינֶ֣נּוּ שֹׁמֵ֔עַ בְּק֥וֹל אָבִ֖יו וּבְק֣וֹל אִמּ֑וֹ וְיסְּר֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
Wenn ein Mann einen störrischen und rebellischen Sohn hat, wird das nicht auf die Stimme seines Vaters oder die Stimme seiner Mutter hören, und obwohl sie ihn züchtigen, wird er nicht auf sie hören;
The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox
Part of creating any ordered society involves continuity between the generations. Even so, this law seems to us to be “cruel and unusual punishment.” It becomes more understandable in the context of Deuteronomy’s transfer of power from parents (who have a choice here to report their son) to elders, that is, to society at large (see Marcus). The behavior of this son is regarded as a threat, not only to his family, but to the entire community (Frymer-Kensky 1992a). The law may also be, in its intensity, a reflection of the God-Israel relationship (see Psalms 78:8, Jer. 5:23) (Greenstein, personal communication).
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