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Reward and Punishlllent Ephraim Rottenberg B elief in retribution is an essential doctrine of every religion. It serves as an incentive to the worship and service of God. In Judaism, a religion of laws, instructions, and commandments given by an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God, this doctrine assumes even greater importance. The word of God, vouchsafed in Torah and reiterated through his prophetic messengers, cannot be contradicted . Moses Maimonides elevated belief in divine retribution to an article of faith, and rightly so, since the denial of this principle is tantamount to the denial of the principle of the divine origin and immutability of the Torah as well as the message of Moses and the prophets regarding reward and punishment. Hence, retribution-reward for personal virtue and obedience to the Torah and punishment for evil and disobedience whether by an individual , a congregation (Num. 14:16), a nation, or mankind (as evidenced by the biblical Flood)-is a basic principle of Jewish religion. The reason for making retribution an inducement to choose the way of Torah and observance of the commandments is given by Maimonides in his Commentary to the Mishnah (Intro. to Sanh. 10:1) and in the Mishneh Torah 828 REWARD AND PUNISHMENT (MT Hil. Teshuvah, 9:1; 10:5). Man, Maimonides argues, is accustomed to strive in life either to gain benefit or to avoid harm, but never with indifference to the realization of some moral objective. Maimonides compares the mass of Jews to children who need to be persuaded to study and observe by the promise of rewards; however, in their maturity, Jews are to be chided to aspire to something greater-to achieve a position of honor in society as scholars or professionals. Such persons may at last realize that their purpose in studying should be to know the truth, to know God, rather than to pursue narrow self-interest. Similarly, the mass of Jews should be encouraged to worship and live according to the Torah in the hope of recompense. Sincere devotion to God and to a life of piety even in the expectation of a reward may ultimately direct one to the disinterested worship of God, that is, to do his will purely out of love for him. Although one who worships God for the sake of receiving a reward is not transgressing and will be rewarded for it, it is nonetheless considered worship of a lower order. The true servant of God is he who cleanses himself of such ulterior motives and is animated solely by his love for God who commanded him to a complete and total love (Deut. 6:5). The exhortation of the early-second-century-B.C.E. rabbinic sage Antigonus of Sokho that a Jew should not "be like servants who minister to their masters upon the condition of receiving a reward, but be like servants who minister to their masters upon condition of not receiving a reward, and let the fear of heaven be upon you" (M. Avot 1:3) has become the critical focus of the Jewish doctrine of retribution. Throughout the Talmud and the Midrash, in the writings of the medieval thinkers and moralists, particularly Babya ibn Paquda, and the sixteenthcentury safed kabbalists Elijah ben Moses de Vidas (Reshith ljokhmah, 1578) and Eleazar ben Moses Azikri (Sefer ljaredim, 1601) to the I:Iasidic masters, ahavat ha-Shem (love of God) and yirat ha-Shem (fear of God) are the primary motives to worship. Fear of God should not be fear of punishment, but rather awe and reverence before the creator of the universe. But what is the nature of this retribution? What reward is offered for obedience to the word of God and what punishment is provided for rebellion? Scriptural retribution clearly belongs to this world: Those who keep the commandments will prosper and be blessed, the nation of Israel will enjoy peace and be victorious over her enemies, and God will make the Jewish people fruitful and cause it to live a good life, happy in the sureness of God's presence in its midst. Those, however, who break the covenant of God will suffer sickness, famine, and pestilence. If the entire nation of Israel commits a breach of the covenant, it will in addition be visited by war and desolation, bereavement, and, finally, exile from its land; the appalling maledictions of the Tokha~ot (Lev. 26; Deut. 28) will be realized. [3.141.31.209] Project MUSE (2024-04-25...

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