Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Ergastulum for punishment in Rome

Shavuot 39: וְשַׂמְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת פָּנַי בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא וּבְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ

jyungar June 9, 2025

For the source text click/tap here: Shavuot 39

To download, click/tap here: PDF

Regarding all other sins he is punished, but here both he and his family are punished. Is this true? Doesn’t the verse say (regarding one who passes his children over to Molech) and I will put My face in that man and his family? The braisa states: If he sinned, why should his family be punished? This teaches that there is no family that has a tax collector (i.e. collects taxes to receive profit) which is not a family of tax collectors.

The concept of collective family punishment presents one of the most challenging theological problems in biblical literature. When Joshua 7:24-25 describes the destruction of Achan's entire household—including children who bore no direct responsibility for their father's transgression—it raises profound questions about divine justice and the nature of moral accountability. This phenomenon, where punishment extends beyond the primary offender to encompass innocent family members, appears repeatedly throughout biblical narratives and demands careful theological examination.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​