Shabbos: The Transgressions of the Entire World

There's an interesting evolution from small infractions to global catastrophes. The Mishnah on 54a begins to catalog all the situations in which an animal is not allowed in the public domain on Shabbos. On 54b, the Mishnah concludes: "The cow of R'Elazar ben Azaryah used to go out with a strap between her horns against the will of the Sages." The Gemara explains: "It was not his cow, but that of a female neighbor of his; however, because he did not protest against her, it was called his cow." This prompts the Gemara to cite the following series of escalating admonitions:

Whoever has the ability to protest against the members of his household but does not protest is punished for the transgressions of the members of his household. Similarly, one who can protest against the people of his town but does not do so is punished for the transgressions of his town. Further, one who can protest against the entire world but does not protest is punished for the transgressions of the entire world.

This last trope especially appeals to my sense of global consciousness, and I initially read it on the day that the New York Times reported that Italy was charging several CIA agents in the kidnapping of a suspected terrorist. And I cheered. Italy, I thought, has interrupted the transgressions. Bravo!

Sadly, our Gemara is more narrowly interpreted in ArtScroll, where Rashi reads the entire world as meaning no more than the entire Jewish nation and suggests that "the Gemara refers to someone like the king . . . who has the power to protest because the people fear and obey him." But let us consider that Rashi, in his wildest imaginings, could not have conjured up the United States of America, or the freedom that every citizen of a first world country posesses. Every man a king . . .