Pt3 ‘Due to Sin [X], Occurs [Y]’: Divine Justice and Human Responsibility for Suffering and Death (Shabbat 32b-33a)

Appendix 2 - Table Summarizing

This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here; the outline for the series can be found at Part 1.

Divine Consequence of Judicial corruption & neglect of Torah is War, disease, famine, and weighed bread portions

Part 1

Delaying justice (עינוי הדין), distorting verdicts,¹ negligent rulings (קלקול הדין), and neglecting Torah study (bitul Torah) lead to societal collapse:

As a consequence of those sins, violence² and looting (ביזה) spread, epidemic (דבר) and famine (בצורת) arise, people suffer from hunger despite eating, and there isn’t enough bread.³

בעון

1. עינוי הדין,

2. ועיוות הדין,

3. וקלקול הדין,

4. וביטול תורה —

1. חרב וביזה רבה,

2. ודבר ובצורת בא,

3. ובני אדם אוכלין ואינן שבעין,

4. ואוכלין לחמם במשקל.

Furthermore, the Sages said that due to the sin of

1. delay of justice, i.e., judges delay issuing their rulings due to personal considerations,

2. and for distortion of justice, i.e., judges intentionally distort their verdicts,

3. and for miscarriage of justice that results from negligence,

4. and for dereliction in the study of Torah,

1. violence and looting abound in the world,

2. and pestilence and famine come,

3. and people eat and are not sated,

4. and they eat their bread measured by weight.

Part 2: Prooftexts (Leviticus 26:25-26,43 ; Jeremiah 33:25)

The Torah, referred to as the "covenant" (ברית), is central to maintaining order, and its abandonment brings divine retribution.

Biblical verses from Leviticus 26⁴ and Jeremiah are cited to illustrate how breaking this covenant results in oppression, scarcity, and dissatisfaction, emphasizing that perversion of justice and neglect of Torah study provoke these calamities.

דכתיב: ״והבאתי עליכם חרב נוקמת נקם ברית וגו׳״.

ואין ״ברית״ אלא תורה,

שנאמר: ״אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה וגו׳״,

וכתיב: ״בשברי לכם מטה לחם ואפו עשר נשים וגו׳״,

וכתיב: ״יען וביען במשפטי מאסו״.

As it is written: “And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant; and you shall be gathered together within your cities; and I will send the pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy” (Leviticus 26:25).

And covenant means nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “If My covenant be not with day and night, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 33:25).

The study of Torah is the mitzva practiced both day and night. And it is written with regard to this punishment: “When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your bread again by weight; and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied” (Leviticus 26:26).

And it is written: “Even because they rejected My ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes” (Leviticus 26:43).

All of these punishments result from breaching the covenant of the Torah and the perversion of justice.

Divine Consequence of False oaths & desecration of Shabbat is Wild animals, reduced population, desolate roads

Part 1

Violating oaths,⁵ desecrating God's name (חילול השם), and desecrating Shabbat (חילול שבת) lead to societal and environmental collapse:

The spread of dangerous wild animals,⁶ the disappearance of domesticated animals (בהמה), population decline (מתמעטין), and abandoned (משתוממין) roads.

בעון

1. שבועת שוא

2. ושבועת שקר

3. וחילול השם

4. וחילול שבת —

1. חיה רעה רבה,

2. ובהמה כלה,

3. ובני אדם מתמעטין,

4. והדרכים משתוממין.

Due to the sin of

1. an oath taken in vain

2. and a false oath,

3. and desecration of God’s name,

4. and desecration of Shabbat,

1. wild beasts abound in the world,

2. and domesticated animals cease to exist,

3. and human beings decrease in number,

4. and the roads become desolate,

Part 2: Prooftexts (Exodus 31:14 ; Leviticus 19:12, 22:32, 26:22-23)

1. Prooftext for the consequence of frivolous oaths (שבועת שוא) – "And if in spite of these [be’eleh] things you will not be corrected unto Me, but will walk contrary unto Me casually" (Leviticus 26:23). Instead of reading the Hebrew word באלה as "be’eleh" (אֵלֶּה - “these”), interpret it as "be’ala" (אָלָה - “oath”), connecting the verse to the prohibition against false oaths. The consequence is stated in Leviticus 26:22: "I will send the beast of the field among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your cattle, make you few in number, and your ways shall become desolate."

2. False oath (שבועת שקר) prohibition – Leviticus 19:12: "And you shall not swear by My name falsely, so that you desecrate [veḥillalta] the name of your God."

3. Desecrating God's name (חלול השם) – Leviticus 22:32: "And you shall not desecrate [teḥallelu] My Holy Name."

4. Desecrating Shabbat (חלול שבת) – Exodus 31:14: "Everyone that desecrates it [meḥaleleha] shall surely be put to death." The common term ḥillul (desecration) links false oaths, desecrating God's name, and desecrating Shabbat. Just as the punishment for false oaths is desolation and wild beasts, the same consequence applies to desecrating Shabbat and God's name.

1. שנאמר: ״ואם באלה לא תוסרו לי״ —

   1. אל תקרי ״באלה״, אלא ״באלה״.

   2. וכתיב: ״והשלחתי בכם את חית השדה וגו׳״,

2. וכתיב בשבועת שקר: ״ולא תשבעו בשמי לשקר, וחללת את שם אלהיך״,

3. ובחלול השם כתיב: ״ולא תחללו את שם קדשי״.

4. ובחלול שבת כתיב: ״מחלליה מות יומת״,

   1. ויליף ״חילול״ ״חילול״ משבועת שקר.

1. as it is stated: “And if in spite of these [be’eleh] things you will not be corrected unto Me, but will walk contrary unto Me casually” (Leviticus 26:23).

   1. Do not read of these [be’eleh]; rather, due to a vain oath [be’ala].

   2. And it is written that the punishment for this is: “And I will send the beast of the field among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your ways shall become desolate” (Leviticus 26:22).

2. And it is written with regard to a false oath: “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, so that you desecrate [veḥillalta] the name of your God: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:12).

3. And it is written with regard to desecrating the name of God: “And you shall not desecrate [teḥallelu] My Holy Name” (Leviticus 22:32).

4. And it is written with regard to desecrating Shabbat: “Every one that desecrates it [meḥaleleha] shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 31:14).

   1. And derive by means of a verbal analogy [gezera shava] desecration [ḥillul] of Shabbat from desecration [ḥillul] of a false oath. Just as punishment for a false oath is desolation and wild beasts, one receives the same punishment for desecrating Shabbat and the name of God.

Divine Consequence of Murder is Destruction of the Temple and loss of Shekhina (Numbers 35:33–34)

The Temple is destroyed, and the Shekhina (Divine Presence) departs due to the sin of murder,⁷ as Scripture states that spilled blood defiles the Land of Israel, requiring justice for atonement (Numbers 35:33–34).

Once the land is defiled, the Jews lose their right to inhabit it, and God no longer dwells among them.

בעון שפיכות דמים --

1. בית המקדש חרב,

2. ושכינה מסתלקת מישראל,

שנאמר:

״ולא תחניפו וגו׳

ולא תטמא את הארץ אשר אתם יושבים בה

אשר אני שוכן בתוכה״.

הא אתם מטמאים אותה —

אינכם יושבים בה,

ואיני שוכן בתוכה.

Due to the sin of bloodshed,

1. the Holy Temple is destroyed,

2. and the Divine Presence leaves Israel,

as it says:

“So you shall not pollute the land wherein you are; for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

And you shall not defile the land which you inhabit,

in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the children of Israel” (Numbers 35:33–34).

However, if you defile the land, you will not inhabit it, and I will not dwell in it.

Divine Consequence of Idolatry & neglect of Sabbatical/Jubilee years is Exile, with foreigners taking their land

Part 1

Exile⁸ befalls the Jewish people due to sins of prohibited sexual relations (גלוי עריות), idol worship (עבודה זרה), and failure to observe the Sabbatical (Shmita) and Jubilee Years (השמטת שמיטין ויובלות), leading to others settling in their land.

בעון

1. גלוי עריות

2. ועבודה זרה

3. והשמטת שמיטין ויובלות —

גלות בא לעולם,

ומגלין אותן,

ובאין אחרים ויושבין במקומן.

Due to the sin of

1. prohibited sexual relations,

2. and idol worship,

3. and failure to let the land lie fallow during the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years,

exile comes to the world

and they exile the Jewish people from their land,

and others come and settle in their place.

Part 2: Prooftexts (Leviticus 18:25-28, 26:30-35)

Prooftexts are provided showing the consequences of these three sins—illicit sexual relations, idol worship, and failure to observe the Sabbatical and Jubilee years—emphasizing how they lead to exile and desolation of the land.

The recurring theme is that sin leads to the defilement of the land, which in turn results in divine retribution through expulsion and desolation:

1. Illicit Sexual Relations – The land becomes defiled by such sins, leading to the expulsion of its inhabitants, just as previous nations were expelled for the same transgressions (Leviticus 18:25, 27–28).

2. Idol Worship – Those who engage in idol worship face severe punishment, including death and destruction of sanctuaries, exile, and the desolation of cities (Leviticus 26:30–33).

3. Neglect of the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years – When the Jews fail to let the land rest, exile ensures that the land receives its due Sabbaths while they remain in enemy lands (Leviticus 26:34–35).

1. 1. שנאמר: ״כי את כל התועבות האל עשו אנשי הארץ וגו׳״,

   2. וכתיב: ״ותטמא הארץ, ואפקוד עונה עליה וגו׳״,

   3. וכתיב: ״ולא תקיא הארץ אתכם בטמאכם אותה״.

2. ובעבודה זרה --

   1. כתיב: ״ונתתי את פגריכם וגו׳״,

   2. וכתיב: ״והשמותי את מקדשיכם וגו׳״,

   3. ״ואתכם אזרה בגוים״.

3. בשמיטין וביובלות --

   1. כתיב: ״אז תרצה הארץ את שבתותיה, כל ימי השמה, ואתם בארץ אויביכם וגו׳״,

   2. וכתיב: ״כל ימי השמה תשבות״.

1. 1. As it is stated with regard to illicit sexual relations: “For all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land is defiled; that the land expel not you also, when you defile it, as it expelled the nation that was before you” (Leviticus 18:27–28).

   2. And it is written: “And the land was defiled, therefore I did visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land expelled her inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:25).

   3. And it is written: “That the land expel not you also, when you defile it, as it expelled the nation that was before you.”

2. And with regard to idol worship --

   1. it is written: “And I will cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols” (Leviticus 26:30).

   2. And it is written: “And I will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors” (Leviticus 26:31).

   3. “And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste” (Leviticus 26:33).

3. With regard to the sin of failure to observe the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years -

   1. it is written: “Then shall the land be paid her Sabbaths, as long as it lies desolate, and you are in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and repay her Sabbaths” (Leviticus 26:34).

   2. And it is written: “As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest; even the rest which it had not in your Sabbaths, when you dwelt upon it” (Leviticus 26: 35).

Divine Consequences of Vulgar speech is Harsh decrees, premature deaths, unanswered cries of orphans and widows (Isaiah 9:16)

Vulgar speech (נבלות פה) leads to widespread suffering: troubles increase,⁹ harsh decrees¹⁰ are renewed, young men¹¹ die, and orphans and widows cry out (צועקין) in vain.

This is supported by Isaiah 9:16, which describes divine wrath against those who speak (דובר) wantonly and sinfully (נבלה), resulting in ongoing punishment.

בעון נבלות פה --

1. צרות רבות,

2. וגזירות קשות מתחדשות,

3. ובחורי שונאי ישראל מתים,

4. יתומים ואלמנות צועקין ואינן נענין,

שנאמר:

״על כן על בחוריו לא ישמח ה׳

ואת יתומיו (ואלמנותיו) [ואת אלמנותיו] לא ירחם

כי כלו חנף ומרע

וכל פה דובר נבלה

בכל זאת לא שב אפו

ועוד ידו נטויה״.

[...]

Due to the sin of vulgar speech,

1. troubles abound,

2. and harsh decrees are renewed,

3. and the youth among the enemies of Israel, a euphemistic reference to Israel, die,

4. and orphans and widows cry out for help and are not answered,

as it is stated:

“Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men,

neither shall He have compassion on their fatherless and widows;

for everyone is ungodly and an evildoer,

and every mouth speaks wantonness.

For all this His anger is not turned away,

but His hand is stretched out still” (Isaiah 9:16).

[...]

Appendix 2 - Table Summarizing

Table Summarizing:¹²

1. עיוות הדין - i.e. miscarriage of justice.

2. חרב - literally: “sword”.

3. They’re forced to “eat their bread [measured by] weight (במשקל)”.

4. As I noted in my intro the series. Verses from this biblical passage are cited in the next sections as well.

See Wikipedia, “Tokhachah” (פרשת התוכחה):

The "Tokheiḥah" refers to the Torah reading of Leviticus 26:14–43, a section of parashat Bechukotai, the final portion of the Leviticus.

The section specifies the consequences of failure by the people of Israel in following God's laws and keeping the divine commandments.

This section is emphasized through contrast with the verses directly preceding it, which relate the blessings God will bestow if the people of Israel walk in God's ways and keep the commandments.

Deuteronomy 28:15–68 has a similar series of curses (קללה) proclaimed by Moses as the consequence of a failure by his people to follow God's laws and keep the commandments.

Because of the distressing nature of the admonitions -- terror, disease, warfare, famine and desolation -- this section is traditionally read in a low voice in synagogue readings (but loud enough to be audible to the congregation)

5. שבועת שוא ושבועת שקר - i.e. a frivolous oath or perjury.

6. חיה רעה - literally: “bad/evil animal”. This idiom is biblical, see Leviticus.26.6 (paralleled in Ezekiel.34.25):

והשבתי חיה רעה מן־הארץ

I will give the land respite from vicious beasts (חיה רעה)

7. שפיכות דמים - literally: “spilling of blood”.

8. גלות.

See Jewish diaspora - Wikipedia:

“The Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: גוֹלָה, romanized: gōlā), dispersion […] or exile (Galuth, Hebrew: גָּלוּת gālūṯ; Yiddish: גלות, romanized: goles) is the dispersion of Israelites or Jews out of their ancient ancestral homeland (the Land of Israel) and their subsequent settlement in other parts of the globe.

In terms of the Hebrew Bible, the term "galuth" ("exile") denotes the fate of the Israelites who were taken into exile from the Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century BCE, and the Judahites from the Kingdom of Judah who were taken into exile during the 6th century BCE.

9. צרות רבות - likely an allusion to Psalms.71.20:

אשר (הראיתנו) [הראיתני ] צרות רבות ורעות

You who have made me undergo many troubles ( צרות רבות) and misfortunes

10. גזירות - i.e. persecution.

11. בחורי שונאי ישראל - a euphemism, and allusion to the verse in Psalms.78.31:

ואף אלהים  עלה בהם

ויהרג במשמניהם

ובחורי ישראל הכריע

when God’s anger flared up at them.

He slew their sturdiest,

struck down the youth of Israel (בחורי ישראל)

12. This table also includes some passages that were elided in the main text of series. These passages mainly consist of brief sections discussing blessings for fulfilling mitzvot (in the table in Appendix 1: items # 10, 13, 15) as well as the sections on hidrokan and askara (a throat disease), which appears after (items #22-27 in the table). All these were excluded from the series due to considerations of length.