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May 10, 2012
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Jewish World Review
August 24, 2007
/ 10 Elul, 5767
What the Bible understood about addicts
By
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski
A Scriptural lesson for — and warning to — parents
“If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son, who does not hearken to the voice of his father and the voice of his mother . . . a glutton and a drunkard.”
— Deut. 21:18-20
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The Talmud says that the capital punishment of the wayward son was never
carried out and is a technical impossibility. Why then does the Torah mention
it? So that we will be rewarded for studying it (Sanhedrin 71a).
Is it logical to have a Halacha (Jewish Law) that is a technical impossibility and is there only to be studied in theory? And what is the specific reward for this?
Rabbi Elyah Lopian (1872-1970) addresses this issue. He prefaces with a question. The Talmud says that the wayward son is a youth who steals to satisfy his gluttony and his
craving for alcohol. The harsh punishment decreed by the Torah is not for the crime
of theft, but because his behavior is certain to progress to the point where he will kill
to satisfy his cravings.
Rabbi Lopian says that the Torah relates that when G-d provided water for Ishmael to
prevent him from dying of thirst in the arid desert, the angels protested, ''Why save
him? His descendants will kill Jews!'' (as we so tragically know). G-d responded, ''I
do not judge people by what may transpire in the future.'' Why, then, is the wayward
son punished for what he will do in the future?
Rabbi Lopian answers that every person has freedom of choice in his moral and
ethical behavior. Even a profligate sinner may do teshuvah (repentance). However, a youth who steals for food and drink has lost his freedom of choice. His cravings have overwhelmed his freedom of choice, and he is capable of eliminating anything that stands in the way of his gratifying his desires.
Anyone familiar with addiction recognizes the phenomenon Rabbi Lopian describes.
An addict essentially loses his freedom of choice and becomes enslaved by his
addiction. I have repeatedly heard recovered addicts say, ''When I needed drugs, I
did things that I never thought myself capable of doing.''
Any addiction can enslave a person, whether it be to alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or
food. It is, therefore, extremely important that we take great precaution not to
develop habits that can be destructive.
This is especially important for parents to know. It is not uncommon for parents to
think that their son's frequent recourse to alcohol is a phase which he will outgrow. It
is far more likely that the condition will progress to most serious proportions.
When parents become aware of use of drugs or excessive use of alcohol in a child,
it is a mistake to think that asking or ordering him to stop will be effective. He may
have lost his freedom of choice. Parents should consult someone with established
competence in addiction, and follow the advice they are given.
Understanding the unrelenting course of addiction is a reward we receive from
studying this portion of the Torah.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes inspiring articles. Sign up for our daily update. It's free. Just click here.
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. is a psychiatrist and ordained rabbi. He is the founder of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, a leading center for addiction treatment. An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he is a prolific author, with some 30 books to his credit, including, "Twerski on Chumash" (Bible), from which this was excerpted (Sales of this book help fund JWR).
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© 2004, Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
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