In fact, Rabbinic Judaism openly and emphatically rejects the plain meaning of lex talionis in the Torah, and insists that henceforth it stands for compensatory damages, that is, the value of an eye for an eye, or the value of a tooth for a tooth. 19:20) These laws are assumed to exemplify a Jewish obsession with strict and retaliatory justice, rather than with forgiveness and compassion. And no text has been used against Judaism more than “an eye for an eye.” It is known in Latin as lex talionis, “the law of retaliation.” Lex talionis is repeated elsewhere in the Torah in even more extreme tones, and includes not only parts of the body, but life itself: “a life for a life.” (Ex. Nonetheless, the stereotype persists, and often when a newcomer to Torah study encounters some of the Torah’s harsher pronouncements, they assume that Judaism still stands for these ancient codes, and their prejudices are confirmed. Jews and Christians are originally “cut from the same cloth.” I am encouraged by the rapid spread of this emerging understanding, which undermines the premises of anti-Semitism and provides a fertile common ground for a new kind of relationship between our sibling traditions. The interpretation of Torah and reinvention of Judaism undertaken by the 1st centuries Rabbis (and their predecessors and descendants) line up closely with the teachings of Jesus, himself obviously a 1st-century Jewish teacher. Now, in my transformative explorations with wonderful Christian colleagues of the 1st century origins of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism, we have put the lie to that ancient Christian self-justification. In that telling, when Christianity emerged, Judaism somehow became frozen in time, rejecting the New Testament, forever stranded in the obsolete ancient paradigm of harsh justice that Christianity was here to transcend. I think it is necessary to continue to remind us of this fact because of the durable stereotype that much Christian thought foists upon the Jews: Judaism is the religion of law, while Christianity is the religion of love. Even though the Torah is our fixed and sacred literature, it serves not as the last word but as the foundation of a legal and ethical tradition that emerged as early as 500 B.C.E. One of my recurring themes in my writings is the effort to demonstrate the evolving nature of Jewish tradition. That way the whole world will be blind and toothless.” (Tevye, in Fiddler on the Roof)Īh, I get to mention Fiddler on the Roof and Torah in the same sentence – it’s already a good day!īut more than that pleasure, Tevye (as usual) speaks for Jewish tradition.
However he injured his fellow, so shall be done to him. Ka’asher yiten mum ba’adam, ken yinaten bo.Ī person who inflicts injury on his fellow, as he did so shall be done to him: a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. V’ish ki yiten mum ba’amito, ka’asher asah ken ya’aseh lo: shever tachat shever, ayin tachat ayin, shen tachat shen.
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