Musar for Shevuot 77:22

וכל עבירות שבתורה מכל העולם לא והכתיב (ויקרא כו, לז) וכשלו איש באחיו איש בעון אחיו מלמד שכל ישראל ערבים זה בזה

is in this category.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence 'Thou shalt not take' etc. is the same as, and not more serious than the sins for which the penalty is kareth or death.');">³⁴</span> - Well then, because of the reason which he states: With reference to all transgressions in the Torah it is said 'holding guiltless', but here it is said, 'will not hold guiltless'. And reference to all transgressions in the Torah is it not said, 'Will not hold guiltless'? Surely, it is written: a will by no means hold guiltless!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXXIV, 7.');">³⁵</span> That is required for R'Eleazar's deduction, for we learnt, R'Eleazar said: It is impossible to say, 'holding guiltless', for it is already said, 'Will not hold guiltless'; it is impossibl say, 'Will not hold guiltless', for it is already said, 'holding guiltless'. How [can they be reconciled]? He 'holds guiltless' those who repent, and 'does not hold guiltless' those who do not repent.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The text, literally, is: 'and holding guiltless, will not hold guiltless.' R. Eleazar explains: 'holding guiltless' those who repent, 'He will not hold guiltless' those who do not repent. But a false oath is more serious than other transgressions in that Scripture writes, with reference to it, vebh tk vebh tk vebu , He will not hold guiltless even those who repent; whereas, with reference to other transgressions, it writes, .');">³⁶</span> 'For all transgressions in the Torah he alone is punished, but here he and his family.' - And for all transgressions of the Torah is not his family punished? Lo, it is written, And I will set My face against that man, and against his family.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XX, 5; for worshipping Molech.');">³⁷</span> And it was taught: R'Simeon said: If he sinned, what sin did his family commit? But this shows you that there is not a family containing a tax-collector,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tax-collectors were considered unscrupulous, often taking more than their due, v. Sanh. (Sonc. ed.) , p. 148, n. 6.');">³⁸</span> in which they are not all tax-collectors; or containing a robber, in which they are not all robbers;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If there is a black sheep in a family, the other members are probably not much better.');">³⁹</span> because they protect him!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence, in the case of other transgressions, too, the whole family is punished; and not merely in the case of a false oath.');">⁴⁰</span> - There [the family are punished] with another [lighter] punishment, but here with his own punishment; as was taught: Rabbi said: And I will cut him off.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XX, 3.');">⁴¹</span> Why is it said? Because it is said, And I will set My face [against that man, and against his family];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');">⁴²</span> I might think the whole family shall be cut off, therefore it is said, 'him':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'I will cut him off.'');">⁴³</span> him will I cut off, but not the whole family shall I cut off.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They will suffer merely a minor punishment.');">⁴⁴</span> 'For all transgressions in the Torah he alone is punished, but here he and the whole world.' - And for all transgressions of the Torah is not the whole world punished? Lo, it is written, And they shall stumble one upon another:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVI, 37.');">⁴⁵</span> one because of the iniquity of the other; this teaches us that all Israel are sureties one for another!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence in the case of all transgressions the whole world (of Israel) is punished, because all Israelites are responsible for one another, and bound to prevent wrongdoing!');">⁴⁶</span>

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