The passage of the ben sorer u’moreh, the rebellious son, is perhaps one of the most difficult passages in the Torah to understand. A rebellious child commits a few seemingly minor infractions and is put to death. His crime? Stealing his parents money and fressing on meat and wine.

Does his gluttony warrant such a harsh treatment? Does his punishment fit the crime?

To make things even more difficult, our Sages teach (Sanhedrin 71a): “The ben sorer u’moreh never existed and never will exist. Why is it recorded in our holy Torah? Study it and receive reward.”

But there is so much to study! The Sea of Talmud is vast, with its many laws, details, and particulars. Certainly there is no shortage of material to “study” and “receive reward.”

Why does the Torah offer this hypothetical case? What message can we glean from the ben sorer u’moreh?

The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 8:5) states, the ben sorer u’moreh is “nidon al shem sofo- judged now for his end.” In other words, he is put to death for what he will ultimately become. It is better that he “dies innocent, rather than guilty.”

In Parshat Vayeirah, however, when Yishmael was dying of thirst, Hashem had pity upon him and judged him “ba’asher hu sham – in his present state.” (Bereishit 21:17). Rashi (ad loc) cites Bereishit Rabbah 53:14, in which the angels in Heaven protest:

Master of the World! He whose descendants are destined to put your children to death by thirst, You cause a well to rise up for him? And He [Hashem] answered them, “What is he now? Righteous or wicked? They answered, “Righteous.” He said to them, “I judge him according to his deeds at the present.

In fact, based on this account, the Gemara (Rosh HaShana 16b) states that a person is only judged according to their actions at that very moment.

So why don’t we apply this princple to the ben sorer u’moreh? Why is he judged for what he will ultimately become as opposed to where he stands now?

One could only be deemed a ben sorer u’moreh during the first three months after turning thirteen. He was only formally obligated in mitzvot for three months. Yet, his short life already testifies to what kind of a person he will become. He is put to death because already at the beginning of adulthood we see his self-destructive traits emerge.

The ben sorer u’moreh is a hypothetical case, yet the Torah teaches it to stress the importance of beginnings. In the Jewish tradition, we realize the importance of laying a sound foundation.

Our sages in the Mechilta teach: kol hatchalot kashot – all beginnings are difficult. Beginnings are hard, but according to the effort is the reward.

The month of Elul is a time when we focus on new beginnings. As the Days of Judgment quickly approach, we turn inwards and ask ourselves how to make this year different. The beginning of the New Year sets the tone for the entire year. We try our best to start it off on the right foot.