A Bridge Too Far: When the Court Harms Children to Punish Their Parents |
The High Court’s recent ruling may be presented as a victory for “the law” or “equality,” but in practice, it masks a grave moral injustice. When the court orders the revocation of basic benefits—such as daycare subsidies for infants, property tax discounts for the needy, and housing assistance for young couples—it crosses a red line. In an attempt to settle the debate over conscription, the justices are using small children as a means of punishing their parents.
The most fundamental principle of justice is that every person is responsible for their own actions alone. As the Torah explicitly states in Devarim:
“Lo yumtu avot al banim ve-banim lo yumtu al avot, ish be-het’o yumatu” > (“Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; each shall die for their own sin” — Devarim 24:16).
It matters not whether one believes the parents’ conduct is right or wrong; a child did not choose where to be born or their way of life. When a child is denied a safe daycare environment or shelter, the blow falls upon one who has not sinned. The Prophet Yechezkel emphasizes this:
“Ha-nefesh ha-hotet........