In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges the talion law of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” instructing his followers to turn the other cheek. While this may be admirable as a personal practice, society requires a policy for protecting its people. Positioned between the extremes of total annihilation of the enemy and passive acceptance of aggression, the principle of talion law advocates for measured justice.
Prof.
John J. Collins
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I don’t defend the Torah’s ostensibly immoral laws, but I do try to understand what motivated them.
Dr. Rabbi
Eliezer Finkelman
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The Torah allows kin to take vengeance on a murderer; in cases of manslaughter, the killer is offered sanctuary at a refuge city. These laws highlight the struggle to limit clan justice in ancient Israel, a challenge found centuries earlier among the northern Amorites, as detailed in several letters to King Zimri-Lim of Mari.
Dr.
Yigal Bloch
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“But… if it came to light, when my rival appeared, that he had a mother waiting for him....”
Dr.
Gili Kugler
