Reply To: Defending myself and defending a rabbi

Popa,

All good questions! As non-Jews have rarely asked shilahs of rabbis regarding these issues, we have very little halachic literature on these issues and I’m unaware of any rishon other than Rambam who discusses them. The Rambam mostly restates what is in the gemara. (Anyone more learned than me who is aware of others, please cite!)

FWIW there is probably a lot LESS crime today than in the time of the Mishnah and Talmud. The Roman Empire barely had anything resembling a police force, so they resorted to particularly brutal punishments for the people they did catch.