Reward & Punishment

Question: I know there is an infinite, loving G‑d. It's just that I can't get my head around a few things in the Torah, like death penalties for gays, wizards, and people who curse their parents. Even if these people have erred, couldn't they just be aske...

It is surprising to say that Abraham was concerned about his reward, when Maimonides singles out Abraham as a paragon of serving G‑d “purely out of love.”

The Talmud introduces a compelling historical record of a series of profound questions posed by Rome’s stoic philosopher king Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to the great Torah Sage, who went on to redact the Mishna, Rebbi Yehudah HaNasi. This first in a three ...

The Torah commands that a laborer's payment not be withheld even a day. G-d Himself, our Sages tell us, observes the very commandments He obligates us to fulfill. How then does G-d not immediately reward man for his/her service of Him, deferring man's rew...

Why must there be justice as well as compassion, punishment as well as forgiveness?

In a healthy relationship, the love must deepen and grow, or the relationship is at risk of becoming static and stale. The same is true in our relationship with G‑d.

The connection between the start of a new year and the 98 curses read in this week’s Torah portion.

Rabbi, you say that we’re supposed to be good without anticipating rewards. What do you mean? Isn't there the concept of heaven, and rewards, in Judaism?

If G‑d wants us to "perform the true service simply because it is true," why does He distract us with promises of recompense? Is it a proper to give someone an incentive if it's essentially not in his or her best interest?