Bernard Madoff is in prison. All indications are that he will spend the rest of his days there, which is surely where he belongs.
Still, many express concern that he will get off too easy, and urge that he be made to suffer as his victims have suffered. Some would have him assigned to clean toilets in prison. On the Internet one can find comments calling for Madoff to be hanged on Wall Street or arguing that, had Dante known him, he would have been assigned to the lowest circle of hell.
There is indeed something viscerally satisfying in seeing the person who has caused such harm subjected to the harshest possible treatment. I certainly understand the impulse behind calls for Madoff to rot in hell. My family was among the victims of his massive fraud. His crime has dramatically reduced our resources, diminished our capacity for charitable giving and derailed our plans for the future.
But this is a time to hold our baser instincts in check. Vengeance may bring emotional relief, but it does nothing to redress the wrong that has been done. Public cries for humiliation are the verbal equivalent of putting someone in stocks in the public square and throwing rotten fruit at him, a practice we have long since abandoned. In our desire to vilify the offender, we actually demean ourselves.
The morally appropriate response to gross misconduct is grief, shame and renewed resolve. We should grieve for the victims of this fraud, of course, but also for Madoff himself. When a man of such intelligence and stature uses his gifts in such evil ways, we should all feel pained at the tragedy of a life thoroughly ruined and a family forever disgraced.
In Proverbs we read, “If your enemy falls, do not exult; if he trips, let your heart not rejoice.” Judaism reminds us that even our enemies are human, and the disgrace of another person is never cause for celebration. As Passover approaches, we should consider that most powerful ritual moment, when we symbolically reduce our joy by spilling some of our wine as the suffering of the Egyptians is recounted. When we consider the Madoffs of the world as a window into the dark recesses of the human soul, we should respond with pity and anguish, not anger or delight.
Make no mistake — I am glad that justice will be done, that Madoff will never be able to defraud people, as he has cheated my family and so many others. And I hope that his sentence, when it comes, will be a deterrent to others. But there is a profound difference between sober affirmations of the need for justice and gleeful, hate-filled calls that he suffer to the greatest extent possible.
Madoff’s fall is a human tragedy. It gives us an opportunity to look squarely at the worst of what humans are capable of doing to one another. As this enemy falls, let us pause, reflect on the lessons we can learn and weep at the painful tragedy of it all.
Louis E. Newman is the John M. and Elizabeth W. Musser Professor of Religious Studies at Carleton College.
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even hitler wasn't solely responsible for germany's crimes; neither is madoff only responsible for his crimes againts his investors. certain conditions must have existed for hitler and madoff to behave they way they did.
re germany, we cld say that US invasion of europe in 1917, caused subsequent german defeat, economic catastrophy, and loss of vast lands. had not US invaded europe and fought exhausted germany, the ww1 wld have ended stalemated and entirely differnt treaty wld have been obtained.
nazi party most likely wld have never formed the gov't; holocaust wld not have happened nor german anger and lust to get even. tnx
Very difficult to even understand this concept of forgiveness while the full extent of his crimes are not even known. After 40 years we had a hard time understanding Pres Reagan's visiting an SS cemetery and laying a wreath. Maybe after 40 years we can begin to forgive this criminal, just not yet.
As a gentile I would ask: Why are so many Jews involved in such massive financial frauds? Or am I being "anti-Semitic" to notice this?
Like many others, I too remain angered by the harm done by Bernie Madoff, especially to the elderly and charitable organizations who placed their trust in him. Nevertheless, what good will it do for these victims or ourselves to somehow wish even worse for this criminal? Mr. Madoff is, indeed, being punished...all the more because of the loss of his family life, that high life style he has been accustomed to for so many years, as well as the humiliation of disgrace, prison and total ruin. Perhaps the worst punishment of all is prisoner Madoff's newly awaking each morning to realize at that instant where he now is and the certainty that he will remain there for the rest of his natural life.
Like many others, I too remain angered by the harm done by Bernie Madoff, especially to the elderly and charitable organizations who placed their trust in him. Nevertheless, what good will it do for these victims or ourselves to somehow wish even worse for this criminal? Mr. Madoff is, indeed, being punished...all the more because of the loss of his family life, that high life style he has been accustomed to for so many years, as well as the humiliation of disgrace, prison and total ruin. Perhaps the worst punishment of all is prisoner Madoff's newly awaking each morning to realize at that instant where he now is and the certainty that he will remain there for the rest of his natural life.
Like many others, I too remain angered by the harm done by Bernie Madoff, especially to the elderly and charitable organizations who placed their trust in him. Nevertheless, what good will it do for these victims or ourselves to somehow wish even worse for this criminal? Mr. Madoff is, indeed, being punished...all the more because of the loss of his family life, that high life style he has been accustomed to for so many years, as well as the humiliation of disgrace, prison and total ruin. Perhaps the worst punishment of all is prisoner Madoff's newly awaking each morning to realize at that instant where he now is and the certainty that he will remain there for the rest of his natural life.
To Frank Messmann, Yes your reaction is anti-semitic. Think about all the financial frauds, then count the number of Jews involved. Better not to generalize. But yes, we Jews need to reflect on what may have caused Madoff's behavior. It would be great for Madoff to reflect on this, then let us know. As Louis Newman writes, this is a human tragedy. And a Jewish tragedy. A tragedy for Bernard Madoff. The tragedy started long ago, when Madoff felt the need to manipulate and deceive. Why? Why? Why? If we knew why, we'd be better off.
The strangeness of Madoff's scandal is that so many supposedly "smart people" and wealthy investors completely ignored the most basic rules of investing and financial management. As a life long investor who learned some in college and some from my father and cousin I am genuinely amazed at the negligence of some of Madoff's "names" who lost their families' fortunes and the fortunes of charities they advised through gross negligence.
To Mr. Messman. I think you know the answer to your questions. Please enlighten us with the answers.
One can only wonder how long the Israeli and Russian Mafias will let him live with all the things he still is mum about. Unless he is taken on the Witness Protection Program.