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  • Collective Punishment in Jewish Thought – Netzavim-VaYelech – Jonathan Levine, West Coast NCSY Alumnus

    Collective Punishment in Jewish Thought – Netzavim-VaYelech – Jonathan Levine, West Coast NCSY Alumnus

    There is one verse written in the first Torah portion, Parsha Va’Yelech, that lends itself to a fascinating topic: “The hidden are for the Lord our God, but the revealed are for us and our children until forever.” The simple meaning of the verse is that hidden sins are the province of God alone; for these sins, God holds no one responsible but the sinner himself. However, the community at large is responsible and therefore culpable for openly committed sins.

    posted on September 18, 2014