“Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16 NASB95)
In today’s news, there are reports of two different families — one in Michigan and one in Georgia — where the parents were charged or sentenced to prison because their sons took guns to school and killed several people.
Many are questioning the propriety of these charges against the parents. However, these charges are more akin to the Torah’s instruction about installing a parapet on the roof of a house to prevent people from falling and being injured or killed.
The court charged the parents because there is evidence that they metaphorically failed to put a railing on their roof. While details in the Georgia case are still emerging, in Michigan it’s clear from court proceedings that the parents bought their son a gun without following basic gun safety protocols. One of the key issues highlighted during the proceedings was that they did not store the gun in a locked safe, as required by Michigan law.
To extend the metaphor further, the parents not only failed to install a railing but also brought their child to the edge of the roof and left him there. In one case, the parents purchased the weapon and then neglected to monitor what happened next.
As long as your children live under your roof, there’s an obligation to metaphorically maintain the railings to prevent anyone from accidentally falling to their death or being seriously injured.
In these cases, the parents are not being punished for their children’s sins, but for their own negligence.
Justice for all or guilt by association? Lessons from Torah and North Korea’s punitive practices
However, in North Korea, if you fall out of favor with the regime and commit any offense, such as watching pirated South Korean dramas, they won’t just imprison you. They will also send your parents and children to the gulag, and likely none of you will ever come out.
The North Korean government does this to instill deep fear in the populace. You will comply, or you will suffer, along with as many family members as necessary to break you.
The Torah teaches us to take responsibility for preventing harm as much as it’s within our control. It teaches us to take control of our own actions but that we are not to be punished for the actions of others.
Summary: Tammy
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