Q&A: Striking a Wicked Person
Striking a Wicked Person
Question
Why does the Torah permit striking a wicked person? (when the Temple existed). What spiritual benefit is there in striking a wicked person?
What is the halakhic ruling (relevant to the period when the Temple existed) regarding striking a wicked person? According to Jewish law, when is it permitted to strike a wicked person? Was it permitted in the days when the Temple existed to strike a wicked person spontaneously in the street because he was known to be wicked?
Answer
I don’t understand which Jewish law you’re referring to. Could you elaborate? And what does this have to do with the Temple?
Discussion on Answer
There is no such Jewish law. There are sanctions against wicked people (disqualification from testimony, sometimes the absence of interpersonal obligations toward them, and the like). The question is also who counts as a wicked person, and there are different definitions depending on the context.
It seems you’re drawing from some rumor or other, and it’s hard to address it if you don’t define exactly what you’re referring to.
So that means it is forbidden according to Jewish law to beat a wicked person? Rather, there are different sanctions against a wicked person, as you said in your answer to my question, such as disqualification from testimony and the absence of interpersonal obligations?
I happened to read on the internet about striking in Judaism; apparently I didn’t understand it correctly.
I happened to read on the internet about striking in Judaism; apparently I didn’t understand it correctly.
Barak, could it be that you meant the punishment of lashes?
Does Jewish law permit striking a wicked person? Is it permitted according to Jewish law to strike a wicked person spontaneously in the street because he is known to be wicked? Today, as far as I know, it is forbidden to strike wicked people. My question is about times when it was permitted to strike a wicked person.