THE OBLIGATIONS & LIMITATIONS OF RELIGIOUS COERCION (1)
Shoftim begins with Moses’ instruction to appoint Judges and officers of the law.
Maimonides and Sefer Hachinuch classify this obligation as a requirement to ensure that all of God’s commandments are observed by the Jewish nation, even if this means the enforcement of Torah law.
Does this obligation apply to the twenty-first century? Are we meant to coerce non-observant Jews to uphold Torah law?
In the first of two shiurim on this topic, Rabbi Dunner begins a survey of the sources by looking at the Sefer Hachinuch.
SHOFTIM 2018 – ABRIDGED SOURCE SHEET
(For the SoundCloud audio, scroll down) As the U.S. presidential race heats up in the final stretch toward November 5th, it’s hard not to notice how much attention we pay... Read More