Shared Guilt

This upcoming High Holiday season, Jews all over the world will recite viduy, the confession, many times. Some of the sins listed may be familiar to you and those certainly deserve mention. However, there are other sins listed in the confession which you may definitely know that you are not guilty of. So you may wonder, why am I confessing for a sin that I did not commit? This is especially true of individuals who recite the lengthy version of the viduy by Rabbeinu Yonah recited on Yom Kippur before or after Kol Nidrei. The text there states, “I have violated all the mitzvos.” I once heard R’ Becher make a point that I will elaborate on here. To accomplish the feat of violating all the mitzvos, one must be a man, a woman, single, married, divorced, a Kohen Gadol, a Levi, a Yisrael, a farmer, a judge, a king, a prophet, a parent, a homeowner, a slave-owner, a moneylender, a thief, a metzora, an accidental killer, and be living in Israel! Don’t try this at home! So why do we confess for sins that we certainly could not have performed?

In the liturgy of the yomim noraim we recite a piyut about the tragic deaths of the ten martyrs. One of their stories was discussed in this week’s daf. Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon was captured by the Romans and accused of violating their edict against teaching Torah. He had no defense and was summarily sentenced to death. To inflict greater punishment they sentenced his wife to death as well. They further decreed that his daughter be placed in a house of harlots. The Gemara considers all of them to be tzadikim, so why did they deserve such a fate? The Gemara explains that Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon pronounced the ineffable name of Hashem during the course of learning. According to Rashi, this was actually permitted, but a tzadik of the caliber of Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon should not have employed this leniency. Rashi explains that Hashem holds tzadikim to a much higher standard. Why did his daughter deserve her fate? One time she was walking in front of some important Romans and she overheard one saying to another “Look how nice the gait is of that young girl.” Upon hearing that, she attempted to make her gait even nicer. She deserved punishment because of her breach in modesty appropriate for a Bas Yisrael. (The Gemara refers to her as a tzadekes, so perhaps her actual infraction was rather slight.) Why did the wife of Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon deserve punishment? The Gemara says because she should have protested. Whereupon the Gemara declares: From here we see anyone that can protest and does not, will get punished on account of the sinner. What should she have protested? Rashi says that she should have told her husband not to pronounce the Ineffable Name even during learning. The Chasam Sofer says that she should have ensured that her daughter complied with the dictum of tzniyus.

The Gemara says that when Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon’s wife was being killed, she uttered the verse (Devarim 32:4) “A G-d of faith without iniquity, righteous and fair is he.” The Maharsha explains that she knew that she committed no sin that she deserved such a punishment for. Yet, she declared that her punishment was fair because she failed to correct the ways of others.

We see from here that “Kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh,” we are held responsible for sins that others commit if we could have somehow prevented it. We confess for a wide assortment of sins because we are held liable for sins committed by others. In fact, some commentators point to this passage as proof that women share the same culpability as men in this regard.

There are many ways to reach out to others. Perhaps you can offer to learn with your son or neighbor. Perhaps you can sign up with Partners In Torah and learn with an unaffiliated Jew. If you would like to become involved in the grassroots kiruv effort of the Five Towns you can e-mail me, visit Project Inspire’s website at www.kiruv.com, or call 646-291-6191.