(6) Speak to the Israelites: When a man or woman commits any wrong toward a fellow man, thus breaking faith with Adonai and that person realizes his guilt, (7) he shall confess the wrong that he has done. He shall make restitution in the principal amount and add one-fifth to it, giving it to him whom he has wronged.
(20) Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: (21) When a person sins and commits a trespass against Adonai by dealing deceitfully with his fellow in the matter of a deposit or a pledge, or through robbery, or by defrauding his fellow, (22) or by finding something lost and lying about it; if he swears falsely regarding any one of the various things that one may do and sin thereby— (23) when one has thus sinned and, realizing his guilt, would restore that which he got through robbery or fraud, or the deposit that was entrusted to him, or the lost thing that he found, (24) or anything else about which he swore falsely, he shall repay the principal amount and add a fifth part to it. He shall pay it to its owner when he realizes his guilt. (25) Then he shall bring to the priest, as his penalty to Adonai, a ram without blemish from the flock, or the equivalent, as a guilt offering. (26) The priest shall make expiation on his behalf before Adonai, and he shall be forgiven for whatever he may have done to draw blame thereby.
Scholars believe that the Book of Numbers was edited by priests, but not originally written by them. The Book of Leviticus, however, is believed to be entirely priestly material. Why is this topic so important that they placed this teaching in the Torah twice? How might you rewrite these passages for today?
(ג) וחמישתו יוסף עליו. אם הוא מתודה מעצמו ואם יש עדים עליו יוסף שני חמישיות...
The singular verb here makes clear that he adds one-fifth only if he confesses on his own. But if witnesses testify against him, he must add two-fifths...
What does this teach us about human behavior?
(א) איש או אשה כי יעשו מכל חטאות האדם למעול מעל ביי' וגומ'. בזה המקום בזאת הפרשה להסיר הרע מהמחנה אשר יביא למריבה וקטטה
He shall confess the wrong that he has done. This too involves banishing from the camp any evil behavior that might lead to quarreling or contention.
What is the difference between disagreement and contention? How do we recognize evil in a disagreement, as opposed to a simple differing of opinions?
Should we completely banish evil behavior or engage in dialogue with its perpetrators? (e.g. North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Hamas, etc.)
Michelle Obama famously said, "When they go low, we go high!" The Torah here teaches something similar. What happens when we lose because of deceit and fraud while the perpetrators of those sins receive no repercussions? Is this an unattainable ideal or an achievable goal?