[Avodah] the godfather is innocent, should you want to punish him?

[Zev Sero]

On 1/06/2011 8:43 PM, Moshe Y. Gluck wrote:
>> R' Meir Rabi:
>>>  R Z Sero suggests that
>>>  According to dinei Torah the godfather is indeed innocent,
>>>  Not being punishable within the framework of BD does not mean that
>>> the gfather is innocent. Is he not Chayev BeDinei Shomayim?

> R' ZS:
>
>> I don't know.  Is he?  Ein shliach lidvar avera is not just a technical
>> rule, it's a moral truth.  People are moral agents. <SNIP>
  
> Yes, he is. Rambam, Rotzeich U'shmiras Hanefesh, 2:2-5, specifically, the end of Halachah 2.

Good point; you're right.  Now my question becomes why he's responsible;
a hired killer is not like an animal, after all.  Unless you say that once
a person has disclosed to you that he's depraved (e.g. by advertising his
services as a hit man) you have to treat him like an animal who has no
bechira?  I don't know; it doesn't sound quite right.

-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                      - Margaret Thatcher