The son who never was … until he was

The article discusses the Torah's law of the "stubborn and rebellious son" (ben sorer u'moreh) from Parshat Ki Teitzei, a passage that prescribes the death penalty for a gluttonous, drunken, and disobedient teenager. The author notes that the Talmudic rabbis, particularly Rabbi Yehuda, interpreted this law with such stringent conditions—requiring specific ages, theft from parents for particular items, and parents who look and sound alike—that they concluded, "This never happened, and it never will." They viewed it as a theoretical case for study or a deterrent.

“I saw one. And I sat by his grave!”

However, the author, initially agreeing with Rabbi Yehuda, now believes that Rabbi Jonathan's dissenting view—"I saw one. And I sat by his grave!"—is tragically relevant today. The author argues that the modern equivalent of the ben sorer u'moreh is a teenager who develops an expensive drug habit, leading them to steal from their parents. This phenomenon, once considered impossible in "good homes," is now prevalent, necessitating rehab centers and rabbinic intervention. The article concludes with a plea for parents to be vigilant, trust their children but not blindly, and seek professional help immediately if something seems amiss, emphasizing the need to fill any void left by addiction with positive, spiritual meaning.