[Avodah] Revenge and Punishment

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 12:54:39AM -0500, R Zev Sero replied on Areivim
to something I wrote there:
: >I'm not sure what "justice for the victim" means. Revenge is pointless.

: On the contrary, it is the only compensation the victim can be given.
: "The earth cannot be forgiven for the blood that was spilled on it,
: except by the blood of the spiller."  Executing a murderer restores
: balance to the world, and gives the victim the revenge she deserves.

Does someone in olam ha'emes want or need the suffering of the person
who killed them?

Since neqama (among Yehudim) is assur, what would make you think it's a
sound basis for penology? It would seem we're asking to rid ourselves
of that desire, lo siqom velo sitor, not applaud it.

However, Rav Chanina (Avos 1:2) does ascribe gov't the role of
preventing crime. And in the case of a Jewish Community, uvi'arta hara
miqirbekha could be adding to that the need to keep that community
sacred. Or not -- I'm not clear if the two concepts are really distinct.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             For a mitzvah is a lamp,
micha at aishdas.org        And the Torah, its light.
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