Al sakhar vaonesh meet haElohim  על שׂכר וענשׁ מאת האלהים

Question:

The second commandment says - Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments. (2M 20: 4-5)

What does the expression them that hate Me (that hate the God) mean and what does this hate consist of?

Answer:

The hate of God is non-fulfillment of God's commandments, it follows from the words those that love Me and keep My commandments ie. that love really means that they keep God's commandments. Here we can see that those who fulfill the commandments of God love God are worthy of God's grace and rewards and by contrast those who do not fulfill the commandment of God are those who hate God and are punished for their hate.

Question:

Is it fair when God punishes a human? Why is a person responsible to God for his/her deeds?

Answer:

God's punishment is absolutely fair and normal, because humans are endowed with intellect, which allows complete freedom of choice and full freedom in all what he does בּחירה חפשׁת Bekhirah khafshiit, so if a person does evil and directs his/her desires in the wrong direction, he/she becomes the culprit.

If humans are not endowed with intellect and freedom of action and choice was not given to him/her, he would not be responsible for his/her actions. Therefore, it is unreasonable to believe in fate. Karaites do not believe in fate, because God gave us freedom of choice between good and evil.

Holy Scripture says - I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed. (5M 30:19)