Moral Imperatives
You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may certainly rebuke your neighbor, but you are not to incur sin because of him. Leviticus 19:17 NASB
Not to incur sin – How can you rebuke someone but not sin doing so? If “rebuke” means “to judge, prove, reprove, and correct,” then what approach should you take that won’t end up causing you to cross the line? Just be gentle? Is that enough? What is the situation calls for stern action? Can you correct someone in a way that doesn’t diminish him? Perhaps we can answer some of these questions when we realize that this commandment should really be translated as “Reprove your neighbor so that you will not incur guilt on his account.” In other words, it’s not about your delivery. It’s about making sure that his sin doesn’t spill over on you.
Both self-interest and civic responsibility are attached to the necessity of biblical correction. What this means is that if you allow your neighbor’s sin to continue unabated, that stain will affect both you and your community. If you don’t do something about it, even gently, you bear some of the responsibility for the consequences.
We can readily understand the importance of this command in the close communities of ancient Israel. Achan is an example of community consequences for “private” sins. We’ve taken some time to explore that story, noticing that Achan’s acts were most likely not entirely secret. Others should have known, and should have done something to prevent it. Perhaps that’s why Leviticus is so explicit about the need for neighborly reproof. But think about the world’s contemporary situation. Do we really live in closely connected communities anymore? Do you really know your neighbors? Do you share the same faith perspective, the same paradigm, the same values? In an age of social media, the psychological and emotional distance between people has been expanded to the point where “friends” on Facebook may never actually meet. Who is your neighbor when you live in gated communities with electronic security? Who is your neighbor when you can live in the same apartment for decades and never know who lives next door? If these are the facts about modern life, how are we to “rebuke” someone whose actions affect us? You would probably end up with a defamation suit. It appears that applying this command from Leviticus only works when the whole community shares common space—physical, emotional, and spiritual. And that’s the real problem, isn’t it? The Leviticus commandment assumes connection when our reality is disconnection. We don’t have “fellow countrymen” in our world.
Speaking of “fellow countryman,” the Hebrew text isn’t quite so political. The word is ʾāḥ, translated as “brother, relative, friend” and “countryman.” Now obeying this command in the modern world seems even more impossible. Do you have such an understanding relationship with your brother, sister, husband, wife, children, and relatives that you could speak to them about something they are doing which is unpleasing to God—and they would accept your correction with loving embrace? If that’s the kind of “countryman” you have in your circle, well, mazel tov! You are indeed one of the fortunate. Please share your secret. But for the rest of us, this commandment is a hoped-for harmony. We all need to know how Israel made it happen.
Topical Index: yākaḥ, rebuke, reprove, correct, relationship, countryman, neighbor, guilt, Leviticus 19:17
