Death penalty
The the death penaltyA form of punishment which involves a person being put to death for their crime. Also referred to as captial punishment., also known as capital punishment, is a government-sanctioned killing of a human being as punishment for the crimes that they have committed.
The UK is one of the countries that does not have the death penalty, also known as capital punishment.
Many countries still have capital punishment. Some only have the death penalty for the most serious crimes while others have the death penalty, but have not used it in recent years.
Jewish arguments in favour of the death penalty
Many Jews believe that the death penalty is acceptable but that it should be used as a last resort.
The TorahLaw; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. says that the death penalty should be used for some crimes:
If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.
The Torah suggests that punishment should be proportionate:
If there is a serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
The TalmudThe written version of the Jewish oral law and commentaries on it. says the death penalty is allowed. There are rules surrounding this, eg the criminal must have been warned of the consequences, and there must be two independent witnesses to the crime.
Many Jews believe that punishment should aim to protect society. The belief is that in some cases the death penalty is the only way to ensure that society remains protected.
Jewish arguments against capital punishment
Some Jewish people do not believe capital punishment is acceptable. They would say this because:
- the MishnahLiterally ‘teaching’, the first document of rabbinic Judaism, assumed to have been written down from the oral tradition about AD200. states that a Bet Din or Beth Din (plural 'Batte Din')A rabbinic court of law. that once executed a person was a
destructive Bet Din
- they believe that the Torah and TanakhThe collected 24 books of the Jewish Bible. There are three sections: Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuvim (TaNaKh). May also be spelled Tenakh. are out of date and need to be interpreted for modern-day society.
Reform Judaism teaches that the death penalty not is acceptable. The belief is that it goes against the commandment You shall not murder
.
Question
Explain the Jewish teachings about the death penalty.
Many Jews believe that the death penalty is acceptable in some circumstances, but only as a last resort. They hold the view that some people are a threat to society and it is important to protect others. The Torah also states that the death penalty is an acceptable punishment for some crimes - if anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death
. There are also some Jews who oppose the death penalty, such as Reform Jews. The belief is that the death penalty is completely wrong and goes against the important commandment You shall not murder
.
