Q&A: The Obligation to Warn
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Obligation to Warn
Question
Is there a commandment to warn a person who is sinning? (Perhaps under the law of “you shall surely rebuke” or under the law of “and you shall remove [the evil]”?)
If not, why would a person warn him?
Answer
Absolutely. It follows from the principle of mutual responsibility and from “you shall surely rebuke,” and perhaps also as an extension of returning a lost object, and also simply out of caring. That is why the Torah says, “You shall surely rebuke your fellow, and you shall not bear sin because of him.” If you do not warn him, you bear part of the responsibility for his sin. (That is the plain meaning. In homiletic interpretation there are additional explanations.)