Q&A: Punishment
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Punishment
Question
Hello,
How do we punish a terrorist who murdered someone, if he believes he did the right thing?
Answer
First, I'm not at all sure that he really believes that. Does every murderer do what he believes in?
Second, if we had reliable information that he does believe it, then indeed there would be no place to punish him. But we would still need to kill him in order to defend ourselves against him.
Discussion on Answer
Temporary insanity does indeed exempt a person from responsibility, both in Jewish law and in civil law.
You're conflating opinions with inclinations, but inclinations too may be grounds for exemption, though this is not the place to elaborate.
By the same token, you could say that about LGBT people who claim that for them it's innate. How would we know? Is everyone supposed to just do whatever they feel like?
By the way, I'm sure there are murderers (including Jews) who became so enraged at the victim that, at that moment, they lost their sound judgment and their capacity for restraint and self-control. Do we find any exemption for that?