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Encyclopedia > Corporal punishment (Judaism)

The Torah describes certain forms of corporal punishment for certain sins and crimes. Torah (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. ...

Contents


Types

The four types of capital punishment, known as mitath beth din (execution by the rabbinic court), are: A beth din (בית דין, Hebrew: house of judgment, plural battei din) is a rabbinical court of Judaism. ...

  • Sekila - stoning
  • Serefah - burning
  • Hereg - decapitation
  • Chenek - strangulation

The Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin) recognises that the former two are more serious, and are administered for more serious crimes. Stoning is a form of capital punishment in which the convicted criminal is put to death by having stones thrown at them, generally by a crowd. ... The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories, which Jewish tradition considers authoritative. ...


One form of non-capital corporal punishment is known, namely that of lashes (malkuth). The maximum number of lashes allowed per sentence is 39, although multiples of this could theoretically be given consecutively if multiple commandments had been violated. Apart from as a punishment for violating Torah law, malkuth mardus (lashes of rebellion) was also administered in cases of contempt of court and violation of rabbinic law.


Capital crimes

Crimes such as idolatry, adultery and several forms of incest, murder, and violation of the shabbat. Idolatry is a term used by many religions to describe the worship of a false deity, which is an affront to their understanding of divinity. ... Man and woman undergoing public exposure for adultery in Japan, around 1860 Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their lawful spouse. ... Incest is sexual activity or marriage between very close family members. ... Shabbat (שבת shabbāṯ, rest in Hebrew, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. ...


It bears noting that the Mishnah (tractate Makkoth 1:7) states that a court that administers capital punishment more than once every seventy years is called a "destroyer". There are many restrictions on the evidence admissible in capital cases, and unless a warning (hatra'ah) was given (to ascertain the offender's intent), a verdict of "guilty" could not be passed. In addition, the process had to be witnessed by two unrelated witnesses, and the timing of the warning (several seconds before the act) was crucial. The Mishnah (Hebrew משנה, repetition) is a major source of rabbinic Judaisms religious texts. ...


Still, the harshness of the penalty indicates the seriousness of the crime, and Jewish philosophers argue that the whole point of corporal punishment was to serve as a reminder to the community of the severe nature of certain acts.


Non-capital crimes

Standard prohibitions such as eating non-kosher food carry a penalty of lashes. The circled U indicates that this can of tuna is certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Congregations. ...


Some rabbinical prohibitions, such as violating the laws of muktza (moving objects which may not be used on shabbat) carry a penalty of lashes.


Present state

No physical punishment is presently being administered by rabbinical courts. Some of the capital crimes mentioned above would lead to effective exclusion of the perpetrator from the religious community. For transgressions that would deserve capital punishment (i.e. violation of shabbos, murder, worship of foreign deities, etc.), yet do not receive it because of the lack of organized court systems, the sinner received kareis v'ariri, which is a youthful and childless death (between the ages of 50 and 60, with their children passing on in their own lifetime). A beth din (בית דין, Hebrew: house of judgment, plural battei din) is a rabbinical court of Judaism. ...


External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN (SPANKING) (1030 words)
Conservatives Protestants have become the main supporters of corporal punishment of children, probably because of their belief in the inerrancy of the Bible, and the frequent advocacy in the book of Proverbs of spanking as the method to discipline children.
We feel that the debate corporal punishment of children is one of the most important, current, religiously-based, conflicts in North America.
If corporal punishment advocates are correct, then the abandonment of spanking will significantly increase violence and criminal activity by the next generation of adults.
Corporal punishment (Judaism) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (338 words)
One form of non-capital corporal punishment is known, namely that of lashes (malkuth).
Apart from as a punishment for violating Torah law, malkuth mardus (lashes of rebellion) was also administered in cases of contempt of court and violation of rabbinic law.
Jewish philosophers argue that the whole point of corporal punishment was to serve as a reminder to the community of the severe nature of certain acts.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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