Small Crimes, Big Punishment
Genesis Rabbah 31:5
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讗讬讝讛讜 讞诪住 讜讗讬讝讛 讛讬讗 讙讝诇
讗诪专 专讘讬 讞谞讬谞讗: 讞诪住 讗讬谞讜 砖讜讛 驻专讜讟讛, 讜讙讝诇 砖砖讜讛 驻专讜讟
讜讻讱 讛讬讜 讗谞砖讬 讛诪讘讜诇 注讜砖讬诐, 讛讬讛 讗讞讚 诪讛诐 诪讜爪讬讗 拽讜驻转讜 诪诇讬讗讛 转讜专诪讜住讬诐, 讜讛讬讛 讝讛 讘讗 讜谞讜讟诇 驻讞讜转 诪砖讜讛 驻专讜讟讛, 讜讝讛 讘讗 讜谞讜讟诇 驻讞讜转 诪砖讜讛 驻专讜讟讛, 注讚 诪拽讜诐 砖讗讬谞讜 讬讻讜诇 诇讛讜爪讬讗讜 诪诪谞讜 讘讚讬谉
What is the difference between gezel and hamas? Rabbi Hanina says, “Hamas is theft of a small amount whereas gezel is theft of a large amount. And this is what the generation of the flood would do, when someone would come to the market with beans to sell, many people would steal an amount so small they could not be prosecuted in court.”
This week’s midrash has a rather shocking answer to the question of why the world deserved to be wiped out in the days of Noah. One might expect a midrash seeking to answer this question as being filled with heinous crimes: wanton murder, rampant violence, deep-seated corruption in houses of power. But instead, in the midrash, Rabbi Hanina cites a relatively small act as the reason all life on this planet was put to an end. God flooded the earth because people would steal an amount so small, it could not be prosecuted in a court of law. The world was not destroyed because of a whirlwind of violence, rather due to a still small voice of immorality, small acts of theft that fell out of the purview of any legal system.
While the action described by Rabbi Hanina was small, the cumulative effect of many small thefts resulted in a significant loss of property for the bean seller. What’s more, these small thefts signify a disregard for morality and the singular concern for upholding the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit and purpose of the law. With this understanding, the lessons embedded in the midrash come into focus. Our small actions good and bad have a profound effect on the world and our society. Our concern must not be only with the minutiae of the law, religious or otherwise, but with its spirit as well. Morality and the drive to do good must permeate all that we do, whether big or small, whether at home or in the marketplace.
