This week in Montreal, we were told of a youth who entered a store with his friend. He was wearing a red jacket. What he didn’t know was that there was a local gang war on. One gang wore red jackets and the other wore blue. He was not a part of the gang but he was stabbed to death simply because he wore a red jacket. In Canada there is a law called the “Young Offenders Act” which is badly in need of reform. A person of 12 can murder their parents and get away with it. A person of 15 can commit a crime and they are treated as if they do not know right from wrong. Something is wrong with the justice system when people are not held accountable for their sin; when the right of the individual becomes more important than the good of the society in which we live.

When strangers come to visit our community, how are they treated? Do they feel safe?

In this past week’s Parashah, Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43), Ya’acov was travelling back home and had to pass through the land of other nations. Yaakov’s daughter, Dina went out to visit some friends. She was raped by Shechem, the son of Hamor, the local ruler. Dina was held captive in his home because Shechem said that he loved her and wanted to marry her. Obviously they had enough power in the community that all obeyed Hamor when he told them all to be circumcised. As the story goes, on the third day Dina’s brothers entered their village and killed them all for the honor of their sister.

Yaakov was afraid that the surrounding nations would seek retribution and was upset with his boys. Were his sons justified in this type of retribution? We can see that Yaakov’s fear was justified because it took the Hand of God to bring terror upon the nations to keep his family safe.
What we see here is collective punishment to bring community good.

What does the Bible say about this type of retribution? Collective punishment to stop evil in society can be found through Scripture. Six Biblical references as well as Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 13:6b says “This is how you are to rid your community of this wickedness.” Look at the blessings and the curses upon Israel in Deuteronomy 28.

All we need is for good people in our community to not stand up to evil paving the way for dictators such as a Hitler and many others in the history of our people right down to today’s president of Iran to take over. The entire world will suffer. Should terrorism be allowed to run rampant in the world as we see today or do we nip in the bud?

Something is very wrong in a society where victims suffer while the guilty go free.

May we as a Messianic community stand up for what is good and right in this society which is morally bankrupt. May we also be faithful enough to tell the world that it is only a change of heart given to us by Messiah Yeshua that this world will finally be transformed from evil to good.

Rabbi Erle Snobel
Associate Rabbi

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