“Parents willing to sign falsely are teaching their child that dishonesty is okay... when it gets you what you want”
WEdon’t need to go too far to find the answer to this question, for it was given on Har Sinai.
A look at the second half of the Aseres Hadibros gives rise to a difficult question. How could it be that the loftiest generation in our history, who experienced nevuah (prophecy) by hearing the word of Hashem on Har Sinai, aside from witnessing the miracles of Mitzrayim, needed to be commanded to refrain from the most basic prohibitions of any moral society, such as abstaining from murder, adultery, etc.?
The Alter of Slabodka offers an answer from the Targum Yonasan ben Uziel, and my rebbi, Rav Elya Svei ztz”l repeated it often. A free translation of the Targum Yonasan’s commentary on “Thou shalt not murder” goes like this: “You should not murder, nor be friends or partners with murderers… nor be seen in the company of murderers, lest your children will come after you, and they will learn to be with murderers.”
We were not merely being instructed not to perform the physical acts associated with these sins, rather not to show any tolerance for them whatsoever. That means avoiding any despicable character who is guilty of such behavior. And if we do not stand our ground, our children chalilah will pick up on our lackadaisical attitude towards these values, and, as Rav Elya put it, “Zei vellen veren poshuta rotzchim — they will become simple murderers themselves.”
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