ROSH HASHANAH PARABLE 3:    PUNISHMENT TO FIT THE CRIME The following parable is a commentary on the Jewish doctrine of reward and punishment based on Psalms 62.13: "Unto Thee, O Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to every man according to his deeds." This is comparable to a king who owned a menorah that had no equal in all the world. Studded with many precious stones and pearls, it hung in the king's palace suspended by ropes. A dullard who happened to be in the palace coveted the ropes, cut and stole them. Naturally, the menorah fell and crashed to pieces. The king, being a compassionate person, judged him culpable only for the sin of stealing the ropes because he was not competent, due to his moronic intellect, to realize that his act would result in demolishing the menorah unparalleled in beauty and in worth. In this wise, the Almighty holds each individual responsible for his personal deeds, and not for the widespread ignorance and defection extant in our world. Introduction to Parables  |  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5   |  6 TISHREI Table of Contents