Q&A: Ignorance of the Law Does Not Exempt One from Punishment
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Ignorance of the Law Does Not Exempt One from Punishment
Question
Does this apply in Jewish law as well?
I can understand it when it comes to the laws of the state, since a significant portion of those laws are based on logic / morality. But what about halakhic laws that most people do not even think about at all?
Answer
If someone does not know a certain law, he is considered an unwitting transgressor. If he is like a child captured among non-Jews, then he is closer to someone acting under compulsion. So that exempts him from punishment, but usually does not exempt him entirely from responsibility. What does this have to do with logic or lack of logic?