Why are we punished for a sin committed by accident?
Table for Five: Vayikra
In partnership with the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
Edited by Nina Litvak & Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist
If a person sins and commits one of the commandments of the Lord which may not be committed, but he does not know, he is guilty, and he shall bear his transgression. Lev. 5:17
Baruch C. Cohen, Trial Attorney
In Leviticus 5:17, we learn a profound lesson about responsibility, even in the case of unintentional sins. The verse teaches that we are accountable for our actions, even when we fail to recognize their wrongness. God holds us responsible not only for intentional actions but also for those committed out of ignorance or misunderstanding.
A crucial element of this verse is the distinction between sins of defiance and sins of ignorance. A person who knowingly disobeys is held to a higher standard than someone who errs due to lack of knowledge. This speaks to God’s deep understanding of human nature, considering both intention and awareness when determining guilt. However, just as I remind my clients in the legal world, “ignorance is no excuse for the law,” the same applies here in spiritual terms. Claiming ignorance or saying “I’m a good person” does not absolve one from responsibility. Even if the sin is unintentional, it still requires atonement and rectification.
This passage emphasizes the importance of actively seeking knowledge, particularly through engaging with Torah, to understand God’s commandments. As a litigator, I often tell clients that it is their responsibility to know and understand the law, and the same applies spiritually. Ignorance does not remove responsibility. The Torah urges us to be proactive in learning what is right and wrong, ensuring that our actions align with God’s will. Only through this effort can we fulfill our moral and spiritual duties.
Dr. Sheila Tuller Keiter, Judaic Studies Faculty, Shalhevet High School
“I don’t feel tardy,” wisecracks a student in a Van Halen song. The rule is clear: be on time for class. But you may not realize you are late. How can you be punished for violating a rule you don’t even realize you’ve violated? The Talmud offers the example of a person eating what he thought to be permitted fat only to find out it was forbidden fat. Why should that matter if it was an honest mistake? The Torah says it matters.
We often call these events accidents, and accidents happen. Still, some accidents can cause considerable damage. Confusing the gas pedal for the brakes can be deadly. But often accidents can be innocuous – no harm, no foul. Take the Talmud’s forbidden fat scenario. I unknowingly ate it. But nobody got hurt, so it’s all good, right?
The Torah does not allow us to declare “Whoopsie” and walk away. In the larger balance of the universe, the wrong has still been committed. Once you discover the error, you must atone. If this is true for accidentally eating the wrong kind of fat, how much more must this pertain when our thoughtless actions actually hurt others? Only the child justifies her misdeeds by claiming, “But I didn’t mean to!” How often do we innocently say something that turns out to be hurtful? It is too easy to claim good intentions and ignore the pain. Whether you feel tardy or not, the bell has rung, and it’s time to fix it.
Rabbi Moshe Kormornick, Bestselling Author, Short Vort 1 & 2, The Last Slave (co-author)
Simon is taking a well-deserved break in the lab. He leans back on his chair, reaches for the cup next to him, and while thinking of his accomplishments of the day, downs the contents of the drink. That’s funny, he thinks to himself, it didn’t taste like coke. He immediately scans the table and sees his untouched cup full of coke, and then he realizes, he must have drunk the tainted cup — the one that with enough poison to kill a person in a few hours if an antidote is not taken soon after. Amused at his “silly” mistake, he shares what happened with his co-worker, who looks at him in shock.
“Simon, we need to get you to a hospital immediately!”
“But it was an accident,” said Simon in astonishment at all the fuss. “I didn’t mean to drink it, what’s the big deal!?”
How ridiculous does this sound? We all know that irrespective of any ill-will, someone who drinks poison needs an antidote — it’s just a reality! Yet, when it comes to drinking spiritual poison — sinning, even accidentally — we tend to shrug it off as if it didn’t matter. Our verse demonstrates the fallacy of this attitude, and just like there are times when someone, through no ill-will, makes a mistake that requires a remedy, so too, there are certain sins that need remedies, because their damage to the soul is a reality — a natural consequence of a destructive action, despite the lack of intention behind it.
Aliza Lipkin, Writer and educator, Maaleh Adumim, Israel
“It’s not your fault” is a phrase people love to hear. It alleviates the shame many people experience when they are partly or entirely culpable for something that went awry. They then either indignantly assign blame to others or bemoan their bad luck and throw up their hands in despair.
Victim mentality is pervasive in today’s society. It has become the norm for individuals and mobs to target others, hurling accusations and seeking some form of retribution for their perceived grievances. This is a dangerous mentality that causes chaos and violence that spreads like wildfire and destroys the fabric of society.
The Torah warns against such an attitude by commanding us to take responsibility for our wrongdoings, intentional or not. We are even obligated to bring a sacrifice to atone for sins committed unknowingly. While this appears punitive, it is instead, a golden opportunity that empowers individuals to reclaim control of their lives. One expends precious time, money, and effort to fulfill this obligation. The guilt offering thus fosters introspection and accountability, hopefully ensuring that the individual will be more conscious and cautious in his actions. When we don’t take responsibility for our actions—intended or not—we surrender our autonomy. Taking responsibility, on the other hand, grants us the freedom to learn from the past, make choices, take decisive action, and change the trajectory of our lives.
Rabbi Dr. Janet Madden, Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue
In our secular legal system ,”ignorantia juris non excusat”–“ignorance of the law is no defense”–is a long-settled principle.At first glance, it might seem that this is similar to Vayikra 5:17’s statement of sin and guilt. But because the Book of Calling and Being Called immerses us in teachings about how to be holy and whole, our verse references essential soul-medicine.
Mitzvot are, literally, commandments, but the Aramaic root of the word “tzavta” means to attach. And that meaning suggests that we are being called to a rich opportunity for connection. When we go wrong–as we inevitably do– when we do something that we should not or don’t do something that we should, we know, in our deep soul-selves, that we have become detached from the Divine. We carry the burden of our transgressions in our unmoored selves until we do teshuvah and return to our aspirational selves with renewed knowledge that enhances our own souls and the souls of those with whom we are connected.
Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev read our verse literally: “one of the Lord’s commandments which should not be done.” Based on this reading, he taught, “sometimes it is possible to perform a mitzvah in such an improper manner that it would have been better not to do it at all.”
That is, don’t live pro forma, viewing the mitzvot as performative. These teachings are opportunities for life-saving attachments.
With thanks to Baruch C. Cohen, Dr. Sheila Tuller Keiter, Rabbi Moshe Kormornick, Aliza Lipkin, and Rabbi Dr. Janet Madden.
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