Parshas Ki Setzei

“And to the girl you shall do nothing… the betrothed girl cried out and there was no-one to save her!” (Devarim 22:26)

It is a negative commandment that we should not judge one who has been forced to commit a sin. This means to say that we may not punish any man for anything that he has done against his own will. About this it says “And to the girl you shall do nothing… for he found her in the field; the betrothed girl cried out and there was no-one to save her!”. This prohibition includes forbidding us to punish anyone who has been forced to do a bad deed.

The root of this commandment is obvious to any sensible person, in that it is incorrect to punish any creature for something which he does against his will not for his own good.

This commandment applies in all places and at all times, that we are obligated not to give any punishment to someone who has been forced to do something. One who does punish such a person has transgressed this commandment and will bear his sin.