Q&A: A Ride for a Murderer — Should I Turn Him In?
A Ride for a Murderer — Should I Turn Him In?
Question
I gave a ride to 2 soldiers from a unit I somewhat know, and 1 of them said that he killed a small Arab child in Gaza even though the child posed no threat at all — not during an operation, nothing, just because that was the proper thing to do.
Because, as a child, he grew up in Gush Katif and was evacuated from his home, and now they got up to murder us; surely when he grows up he’ll be a terrorist, so he killed him — that was more or less his whole speech, clearly about killing uninvolved people.
I’m not military police or anything.
Am I obligated to report this clear-cut murder, and maybe others he bragged about?
Or is this not my job, and whoever recruits messianic murderers somehow, somewhere, is basically recruiting them with that in mind?
Answer
If it is clear to you that he murdered without cause and you have his details, then you definitely should file a complaint.
As a side note, I have to say that from your wording I suspect you are very biased (“whoever recruits messianic murderers is recruiting them with that in mind”). You could win a Haaretz prize for anti-Smotrich biased interpretation. Before you file a complaint, you should think very carefully whether that is indeed what you heard from him.
Discussion on Answer
I wrote my opinion. Murderers need to be dealt with. I am of course not convinced that he wasn’t just bragging (which in itself is a serious matter), but that is what they are supposed to check and investigate.
Michi, with all due respect to the blog, you can’t issue rulings in capital cases off the cuff or from the gut, just like you wouldn’t let Oren answer this with some exhausting bot (at most you’d write to him like Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky of blessed memory used to write: when you are here, come in to me). Just for sport, Michi: did you know that according to Maimonides the prohibition on killing a gentile is because of needless destruction, not because of “Do not murder”? And you’re immediately pulling a ruling out of your sleeve to put him in prison for 25 years, with his blood and the blood of his descendants hanging on Michi’s rulings?
There is something that seems more ridiculous to me than nonsense, and that is emphatic nonsense. And even more so emphatic nonsense accompanied by self-righteous scolding.
And although this nonsense does not really deserve a response, I will nevertheless write a few comments because of how dear you are to me:
1. Indeed, one is not liable to death for this (Laws of Murderer 2:11). But could you enlighten me as to where you learned this matter of needless destruction in Maimonides? I did not find it either in the Laws of Idolatry or the Laws of Kings, and we certainly do not find that one who kills a gentile violates only that. But apparently if the matter is empty, the emptiness is from me.
2. In Laws of Murderer 5:3, Maimonides requires one who kills a gentile unintentionally to go into exile. I have not heard that one goes into exile for needless destruction. Though it may be that it slipped my attention that someone who throws away the bit of tomato left after eating is also liable to exile, obviously.
3. See Laws of Murderer 2:3 and Laws of Kings 9:4 regarding killing a gentile, and the commentators there.
4. Of course all this is only to magnify Torah and glorify it, but it is not relevant to the present discussion, since we are not dealing here with Torah law but with the laws of the state and morality. And by those laws, and by these as well, he is a complete murderer, and this piece of filth deserves to sit in prison and not see daylight for the rest of his life (not just 25 years).
5. It is astonishing to me that a great sage like yourself says that one must not issue a ruling here off the cuff, while your own words are written entirely off the cuff. And no less astonishing is that you pity the descendants of the aforementioned murderer, but have no problem at all with those he murdered and their descendants. You are very stringent in the laws of prison and tremendously lenient in the laws of murder. Fortunate are you.
6. The Holy One, blessed be He, rebukes Israel for singing at the sea while His handiwork was drowning in it. Apparently they should have been concerned about needless destruction; astonishing that they did not take note of that. Very sharp indeed.
There is much more that could be elaborated on in these words of wisdom, and I came only to make a few comments.
From me, the one being scolded (he too would withdraw and weep…).
I don’t have his name, but I do have enough identifying details that if the IDF wanted to, it would take only a few minutes to find him.
I’m sure about the story, and it gave the impression that this was more than a one-time event; rather, a kind of routine for him, and a simple understanding of what he thinks he is supposed to do — although he didn’t say that explicitly.
He wasn’t emotional, wasn’t upset, just talked naturally.
And he didn’t understand why it was even interesting at all…
By the way, at the time I felt sorry for him regardless of what he had done.
He’s a poor soldier and grew up in a poor home. The kind of weapon he is assigned is very heavy, and over time that causes pain in different parts of the body. The army doesn’t provide a belt that costs a few hundred shekels and makes it much easier. I gave him money, and he promised that with it he would hurry to buy the belt for himself.
I asked whether I am obligated to report it.
Or maybe his friends will stop him from continuing (I know what group he belongs to; in my estimation that won’t happen..), and maybe he will repent on his own?