I read about a Jewish custom, kezazah (“cutting off”), which a decisive rejection of one who has shamed the village. On his return, townspeople assembled around the disgraced son and smashed a piece of pottery at his feet, and said “May your fate be exactly like this!” This would shed light on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, since presumably the father knows of the custom—yet sprints to his son before the town can reach him, to forgive, embrace, and restore his son. I understand that God’s Word isn’t written to tell us everything about ancient culture. But I’d never heard of this one, even in Leviticus. What are your thoughts on Kezazah? — O.G.
I hadn’t heard of this specific custom, either, but it makes sense culturally. Whether or not the famous parable has kezazah in mind or not, the point is the same. And quite powerful.
That it existed somewhere in the realm of Judaism seems likely. I found this article persuasive. But whether such a practice existed in the first century, who knows? The Talmud, although rooted in earlier Judaism, dates to centuries afterChrist. This means that we need to be careful about retrojecting later views or practices into earlier times.
