Biblical Conversation(s)

Rabbi Wolicki - our guest on Biblical Conversations! In this episode, Rabbi Wolicki and I discuss rabbinic understandings of the relationship between godliness and the good life, whether the retribution system functioned at the individual level, the corporate level, or both. (See BC 10, BC 11 and BC 12). We discuss how retribution for sin and blessing for goodness would destroy genuine morality and replace it with a crass system of payment. We agree that the blessing and curse system must function at the corporate level and that this answers the problem of individual suffering (it doesn’t imply evil). We also discussed (and I think preferred) the idea that the corporate blessing of righteousness is backed into the system. God so designed the world so that righteousness brings blessing to groups of people even though individuals may suffer even sinlessly and evil folks may live happy lives. Some biblical passages we discussed are Deut 19:16-21, Mark 9:43-44, Rom 18 and 26 and Rev 14:10b. There was also a passa