Yeah, Doswin, that’ll work. And as I said before, she’ll transmit her love for Torah and Yiddishkeit really well to her children once you’ve beaten her into submission. Come to think of it, I’m sure that having seen their mother being beaten into submission, the children will spontaneously develop a deep and abiding love for Torah, the Jewish community, and the authorities who facilitated the beating.
Is this what we’ve come to? YIDDEN!!! Recourse to beating people to do mitzvos? We have no better strategies? Ribono shel olam, is this all we have to offer to Jews who have left the fold?
Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim indicates that animal korbanos were an inferior way of serving hashem and served their purpose in differentiating Judaism from idolatry, but it may be that in the future they will not be necesary, as their tafkid is also served in other ways, primarily through mitzvos and tfilos.
Perhaps this is the way we should look at the “authority” to beat people into submission (and yes, I’ve looked at all of the sources in the gemoro). It may be permitted, but is it useful? Is it advisable? Are their better ways to achieve the objective of returning someone to observance?