Our Gemara on Amud Aleph records a polemical discussion with Rabbi Akiva:
Zunin said to Rabbi Akiva: Both my heart and your heart know that there is no substance to idol worship. Nevertheless, don’t we see people who are lame go to worship idols and come back with restored function? What is the reason for this?
Rabbi Akiva said to Zunin: I will relate a parable to you. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a trusted person who lived in a certain city, and all the residents of the city would deposit items and money with him, even without witnesses present.
One man, however, did not trust him and specifically deposited money only in the presence of witnesses. On one occasion, that same man forgot and deposited money without witnesses. The trusted man’s wife said to him: “Come, let us teach him a lesson for not trusting you, and deny that he deposited the money with us, as this time there were no witnesses.”
The man replied: “Should we lose our credibility and act deceitfully just because this fool acted improperly and did not require witnesses?”
The bottom line is that the pagan, whose illness was destined to lift for whatever reason, will still recover according to the original decree—even if the optics are bad and, by coincidence, this reinforces a heretical belief. Looking deeper, whether this disability came about through natural causes or by divine decree, Hashem is not going to change His plan, so to speak, because of a momentary event. Even if this person is now committing a greater sin, God’s original decree that the illness last for a certain amount of time remains in place. Hashem punishes, but He is also patient and operates within a system that is not always comprehensible to us.
We can derive from here an interesting lesson in chinuch. If a parent or teacher sees fit to administer a punishment to a child, even if the child misbehaves further, that particular punishment should not be extended. Any additional offense should be addressed in a new way, based on the pedagogical circumstances. The same punishment should not be prolonged merely because it is “technically fair,” as this undermines predictability and follow-through. It is much better to show integrity and keep one’s word—even if, in the moment, the optics are not ideal.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com