Restitution for Wrongs

(Book of Numbers 5:5 - 5:10)

Jehovah told Moses to give the following instructions to the people of Israel: "Anyone who wrongs another man or woman in any way is guilty of committing a trespass against Jehovah.  He must confess the sin he has committed and make amends.  To the person who has been wronged, full monetary restitution must be made, plus 20%.  However, if the injured party is deceased and there are no close relatives to whom restitution may be made, the payment will then be delivered to a priest of Jehovah -- this, in addition to a sacrificial ram that must be offered to obtain atonement for the guilty party.  Every man’s sacred offerings are his, but what has been given to the priest belongs to the priest and will become his personal property."

Notes
1.  Here, restitution for wrongs done to another man are placed solely on a monetary basis.  Wrongs are to be paid for with property, plus, of course, the requisite 20%.  Save for the 20% penalty, there seems to be no real punishment for the wrongdoing itself, only a payment of damages for the result of the wrongdoing.  In this system, the moral component is entirely lost.  The only deterrent from crime is whatever it may cost.  A rich man, therefore, is free to do entirely what he likes, provided he is willing to pay the price for it.

2.  Again we see the priesthood profiting from the bad behavior of the people they serve.  If a wronged party or his family cannot be given restitution, it is the priests who benefit financially from it: they receive the payment otherwise owed to the injured party.  The priests, rather than being punished for the wrongdoing of their flock, seemed to be rewarded for it.  One is reminded that besides preserving civil order and promoting religious orthodoxy and uniformity of worship, a major purpose of the laws set down here is to preserve the prerogatives of the priesthood, to enhance their power, prestige, and wealth.