The consensus claim of the leading pre-modernity sages, across ideological camps, was that sins are actions or behaviors that explicably hurt people,[1] that “there is a reason for every precept” (Guide to the Perplexed 3:26) – whether it is directed to the needs of the individual or of society.[2] As Rambam said, the only difference between the precepts in terms of explicability is that those “commandments whose object is generally evident are called ‘judgements’ (mishpatim); those whose object is generally not clear are called ‘ordinances’ (chukim)” (Guide to the Perplexed 3:26).
[1] For
example, see R. Moshe Nahmanides’ (Catalonia 1194 – 1270) commentary to Deuteronomy 22:6 and R. Shlomo Ephraim b. Aaron Luntschitz’s (Poland–Prague, 1550–1619) Keli Yakar commentary to Deuteronomy 30:11-14. This point has also been acknowledged
by traditional Jews in some penitential prayers; see, for example, the first
penitential prayer of the set that is recited on the eve of Rosh Hashana
according to the various European customs.
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