Speak unto the Children of Israel: when a man
or woman shall do any of the sins against man, to practice treachery against
God, and that person has incurred guilt; then they shall confess their sin
which they have committed … Numbers 5:6-7
Our verses switch from the singular (a
man or woman) to the plural (they shall confess).
My father suggested that this apparent
linguistic quirk teaches us a most important lesson: that on some level,
society as a whole bears a measure of responsibility for the deeds of its
individual members. Were society to achieve the ideal level of education, no
one would sin against his fellow man. Further, there is a reciprocal
interaction, as the sin of the individual has a negative impact on society as a
whole. Thus, “they must confess their sin,” the society must
recognize and correct its culpability in the individual’s sin.
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