GEN510 The initial question that must be asked of any criminal justice system is: What give us the right to punish?” After all, in the early biblical stories, it is God who metes out punishment. God expels Adam and Eve; God curses Cain. One could argue that God acts as a model for the authority in any society; what God can do, so can the controlling powers of a community. But Judaism does not rely on the power model for justice. Rather, justice derives from covenant-the social contract individuals have with God and with each other. … The goal is to control aberrant behavior and provide a society where accountability is based upon reason and moral imperatives, not just emotional reaction. The right to punish derives from the natural right of members of a community to protect their community. (By Laurie L. Levenson, "Judaism and CriminalJustice" OXFORD 473-4