Q&A: Paid His Debt to Society
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Paid His Debt to Society
Question
In one of your posts you wrote the following:
"In the discussion surrounding the early release of Moshe Katsav, this confusion found expression in truly absurd ways. There were those who argued that he had ‘paid his debt to society’ (an absurd expression, in my view)."
Could you please explain here why you think the expression ‘paid his debt to society’ is absurd?
Answer
Because punishment is not the payment of a debt. A person who has not repented, even if he has served his sentence, should not get his status back. He is a sinner, and that is how he should be regarded. If he repents, then there is room to argue that he can be treated differently.