Before us is the fifth Mishnah in the eighth chapter of Tractate Sanhedrin, the last one concerning a stubborn and rebellious son. Most of this Mishnah has already been quoted in the words of Rashi, and here it is brought inside the text: "Ben sorer u'moreh nydon al shem sofo" - a stubborn and rebellious son is judged based on his end.
The boy is judged based on what will be at his end - just as the Torah assesses his situation by delving into the depths of his soul. His behavior has become a habit, he is addicted and repeats his actions again and again, his parents have already despaired of him, and thus he is certainly destined to end up committing terrible deeds. Therefore, "Yamus zakkai ve'al yamus chayav" - let him die innocent and let him not die guilty - it is better to nip the matter in the bud now so that he will not bear the guilt of those crimes, rather than wait until awful things happen and then he is punished for much more severe actions.
How can a person be judged based on the future?
All the commentators ask: Since when do we judge a person based on what he might do in the future? This is not how things work, and we believe in the power of repentance. Furthermore, the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah states that Yishmael was judged "ba'asher hu sham" - as he was at that time; and the reason he was not deserving of death in the desert when Avraham sent him away with Hagar is that he was not guilty at that stage. Why, then, is this boy, who is not guilty at this stage, put to death now?
There are two answers to this:
Yishmael, although his behavior was not ideal, did not commit actions for which he deserved to die at that stage. In contrast, this boy has already actually committed terrible deeds, and he is clearly on the path there - so the comparison is not fitting.
Furthermore: The behavior of this boy - even though this case never actually occurs anyway - has become a deeply ingrained habit. There is no control over him, neither by his parents nor by the court; he continues in his ways regardless, has lost all sense of self-control, and is beyond repair. From this point on, it is known that he is a disaster waiting to happen, and this is the Torah's assessment of his case.
Why specifically the punishment of stoning?
Another interesting question: If, as Rashi says, he is destined to stand at a crossroads and rob passersby under the threat of weapons, and ultimately kill a person for his money in order to fund his addiction - the punishment for a murderer is Hereg, which is decapitation, a terrible punishment indeed, but the second in severity among the four capital punishments of the court, while stoning is the fourth and most severe of them all. Why are we not satisfied with the punishment imposed for murder, and instead hold him liable for the most severe punishment of all?
The commentators answer: This is indeed true, but he is destined to commit additional acts that will make him liable for stoning. If this is his path - he will ultimately desecrate Shabbos; if this is his path - he will ultimately curse his parents. The assessment of the Torah is that for this boy, at least when he meets all the conditions that were listed, there is no more hope, and therefore we must put him out of his misery now.
"Shemitasan shel resha'im hana'ah lahen vahana'ah la'olam" - the death of the wicked is a benefit to them and a benefit to the world:
The Mishnah continues and lists a series of situations, and in each of them it distinguishes between the wicked and the righteous:
"Mitasan shel resha'im hana'ah lahen vahana'ah la'olam" - the death of the wicked is a benefit to them and a benefit to the world - when the wicked person dies, his suffering comes to an end: it is a benefit to him, since he stops digging a deeper pit for himself; and a benefit to the world, since he no longer causes the pain that he inflicts on innocent people. "Velatzaddikim ra lahen vera la'olam" - but for the righteous, it is bad for them and bad for the world - it is bad for them, as they can no longer fulfill mitzvos, learn Torah, accumulate merits, and perfect themselves; and bad for the world, as they are no longer the righteous foundation of the world, providing protection and merit to the world, and they can no longer inspire people to ethics and repentance - and the world loses out.
"Yayin vesheinah laresha'im - hana'ah lahen vahana'ah la'olam" - wine and sleep for the wicked is a benefit to them and a benefit to the world - when they drink to intoxication and lose their consciousness, they are neutralized and do not cause trouble: they do not accumulate additional sins and do not harm others. "Velatzaddikim ra lahen vera la'olam" - but for the righteous, it is bad for them and bad for the world - it is bad for them, as they cannot learn, and the loss of this lifetime is an irreversible loss that cannot be made up; and bad for the world, since they are the ones who bring peace and light to the world, and now this is prevented.
"Pizur laresha'im - hana'ah lahen vahana'ah la'olam" - dispersal for the wicked is a benefit to them and a benefit to the world - a favor is done for them, as they cannot engage in their evil plans and reinforce each other in their behavior and ideas; and the world gains, for who needs the plots of the wicked. "Velatzaddikim ra lahen vera la'olam" - but for the righteous, it is bad for them and bad for the world - the dispersed righteous cannot gather together, analyze and deduce together, and study in a group, raising good ideas and planning plans to improve the world - and the world's situation is worse as a result.
"Kinus laresha'im ra lahen vera la'olam" - gathering for the wicked is bad for them and bad for the world - when the wicked gather together, such as what happens in prisons, they strengthen one another in their bad behavior and bad ideas, and they weave plots for additional evil deeds - just like in any movie where the villains gather to take over the world, it is bad news for everyone. "Velatzaddikim hana'ah lahen vahana'ah la'olam" - but for the righteous, it is a benefit to them and a benefit to the world - the gathering of the righteous is excellent: they learn from one another, inspire one another, and raise good ideas to improve the world, and the entire world benefits from their collaboration.
"Sheket laresha'im ra lahen vera la'olam" - tranquility for the wicked is bad for them and bad for the world - peace, calm, and peace of mind leave them with free time to think, and as the famous expression goes, idle hands are the devil's workshop: people who have nothing to do end up doing all sorts of things that are not good. Therefore, the wicked must be kept busy - as long as they are watching a football game they are not causing trouble, and in the absence of occupation the world suffers from the troubles they cause. "Velatzaddikim hana'ah lahen vahana'ah la'olam" - but for the righteous, it is a benefit to them and a benefit to the world - tranquility allows them to develop themselves, contemplate, grow, receive inspiration, and pray; and through the power of the good ideas they hold, the Torah they teach, and the prayers they pray, they inspire people and bring good to the world.
In summary: In this Mishnah we learned that a wayward and rebellious son is judged based on his end - the Torah's assessment is that his behavior has become an incurable habit, and it is better that he die innocent rather than die guilty, and even his liability to stoning stems from the severe transgressions he is destined to commit. We also discussed the principle that the Mishnah enumerates regarding five states - death, wine and sleep, scattering, gathering, and quiet - that in each of them, what is a benefit for the wicked and for the world is a detriment for the righteous and for the world, and vice versa.