Religious communities have an imperative to deal forcefully when its clergy have committed sex-offenses and to strip them of their office, but sadly this responsibility has often been shirked. When this happens, we often find the assertion that the clergyman should be forgiven and allowed to keep his post because he has repented his sins. Rabbi Dov Linzer, YCT's Rosh HaYeshiva, addresses this pernicious use of the concept of repentance. He demonstrates how Jewish sources embrace the idea of repentance and its transformative power, and at the same time require the community to take a pragmatic and hard-nosed approach in protecting its members and in entrusting people with positions of power.

This lecture was delivered by Rabbi Dov Linzer in September 2006 at YCT.

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