Judaism's Great Debates: Timeless Controversies from Abraham to Herzl

1. Abraham and God: The First Jewish Debate over Justice

3 1 Abraham and God “Where’s Your Conscience?” The First Jewish Debate over Justice Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly? Abraham, Genesis 18:22, 25 The Enigma of Abraham We call him Avraham Avinu, Abraham our Father. He is venerated by the three monotheistic religions of Western Civilization—Judaism , Christianity and Islam—as the spiritual father of their faith. He is chosen (or chooses) to undertake an epic journey in response to the terms of a covenant with God. That covenant promises progeny, land, and blessing. Yet there is little in the biblical text to indicate that Abraham will challenge so boldly the God who commands his life so thoroughly. In response to the call to “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house” (Genesis 12:1), Abraham, with seemingly no hesitation, uproots home and family and “went forth as the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 12:4). He continues each step of his momentous journey with minimal reaction, perhaps in response to continued expressions of divine reassurance. He accepts God’s directive to circumcise himself and all the males in his household, no questions asked. Most astonishingly , Abraham submits to God’s excruciating command to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac with nary a word of objection. 4 Biblical Judaism So it comes as something of a shock that the patriarch of unquestioning faith steps forward to challenge God when he learns of the divine intention to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah: Now the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do . . . ? Then the Lord said, “The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave. I will go down to see whether they have acted according to the outcry that has come to Me; if not, I will take note.” (Genesis 18:17–21) Then quite suddenly “Abraham came forward” (Genesis 18:23) and dares God to morally justify the collective punishment of the innocent with the guilty! The Great Debate Here is the debate between Abraham and God as portrayed in Genesis 18:22–32: Abraham: Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? What if there should be fifty innocent within the city: will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly? god: If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake. Abraham: Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will you destroy the whole city for want of the five? god: I will not destroy if I find forty-five there. Abraham: What if forty should be found there? god: I will not do it, for the sake of the forty. Abraham: Let not my Lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there? god: I will not do it if I find thirty there. Abraham: I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there? god?: I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty. Abraham: Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there? god: I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten. 5 6 Biblical Judaism God and the Ethics of Collective Punishment Abraham’s dramatic dialogue with God is all the more remarkable for the moral challenge that frames the entire conversation. Abraham’s bold pursuit of justice before God is posed right at the outset, with the piercing question: “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?” Before God can even reply Abraham proceeds to answer the question! In good debate fashion Abraham seeks to define the terms of the dispute. He assumes as a given that God acts according to a moral code that distinguishes between innocent and guilty, with only the latter punished for their acts...