Reply To: The Wicked Son, and the Kiruv System

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Avi K
Participant

YW, Yekke. My point was that people are complex. At one time a person stopped keeping mitzvot, in particular Shabbat, because he wanted out of the Jewish people (in fact, the only other option was to join the majority religion). That has not been true for two hundred years. Moreover, as Rav Kook pointed out, there are Jews who are violate mitzvot in their private sides but are tzaddikim in their public sides and vice versa. In fact, the word “rasha” has different meanings in different contexts. For eidut it is sufficient for him to have knowingly violated one prohibition (Choshen Mishpat 34:2-3). However, Rambam says (Hilchot Teshuva 3:1-2) that for his general status he is someone who has more aveirot than mitzvot by weight – and only Hashem knows the weights.

As for the wicked son, the fact of the matter is that he is present at the seder ( Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb points out this fact and says that he is not irretrievably lost). This shows that his kefira is actually l’teiavon (and Rambam says in his intro. to Perek Chelek that those who violate mitzvot l’teiavon will merit Olam HaBa after being punished) – Rav Asher Weiss says that he is simply hungry and wishes that Maggid will end already so he can eat. Many say that today there is a fifth son who is not even present because he has assimilated.