7. [Cobra Kai] Intent to Harm (Miguel) v. Harmful Results (Robby) - What's Worse?

Dilemmas On Screen: A Jewish Perspective

In this episode, Rabbi Mordechai Becher joins us in investigating whether the intent to cause harm, but with no ill effect is considered more morally culpable than a lack of intent to harm, but with yes ill effect. This dilemma presents itself in the way Miguel and Robby fought each other on two separate occasions.

As background, Cobra Kai is a TV series that serves as a sequel to the Karate Kid film franchise. The show focuses on two teenage karate stars, (i) Miguel, who ends up being trained by Jonny Lawrence, and (ii) Robby, who ends up being taken under the wing of Danny LaRusso. Robby is also Jonny’s son. This serves as a fairly significant point of tension between Miguel and Robby, and the tension continues to build given Miguel and Robby share a love interest

At the end of the first season, there is a karate tournament. Throughout the course of the tournament, Robby’s shoulder is injured in a previous round by a different Cobra Kai fighter.

In the final round, we have a face off between Robby v. Miguel. Miguel repeatedly, and purposely, strikes Robby’s injured shoulder. Including not only during the actual fighting, but even when Robby is showing good sportsmanship and offering Miguel a hand, Miguel pulls down hard on the (unoffered) injured arm. That being said, there is no permanent damage to Robby’s arm.

Miguel ends up winning the tournament, though not directly due to dirty tactics.

At the beginning of season 2, Jonny derides Miguel for fighting dirty, explaining there’s a difference between “No mercy” and “fighting with honor.”

Fast forwarding to the end of the season, Robby and Miguel are fighting in a school brawl. Robby was trying to break up a fight, but Miguel walked in at the worst moment and assumed the worst, and started fighting Robby.

Miguel is constantly taunting Robby throughout the fight, hitting on what are clearly emotionally sensitive points to Robby, like their relationship with a shared love interest, and of course that Miguel is being trained by Robby’s dad.

Miguel eventually defeats Robby, pinning him to the ground (in front of a large crowd of their peer students).
Miguel remembers lessons about honor/mercy, and says “sorry” and lets Robby go. Robby, in a fit of anger and humiliation, immediately cheap-shots Miguel and kicks him. Miguel reels from the kick and falls down a railing, with his neck cracking on the stairs, paralyzing him.

This leads us into the following questions:

1. In Season 1, during the tournament, Miguel struck Robby intentionally on Robby’s injury, though with ultimately no ill effects. In Season 2, Robby also struck Miguel intentionally, but unintentionally sent Miguel off the railing and broke Miguel’s spine. What is worse? Intent with no ill effect (Miguel), or lack of intent with ill effect (Robby)? In other words, does Judaism care more about intent or result?
   1. In the tournament, Robby could have ended the fight early, as his own sensei suggested. Not doing so was Robby’s own decision and fault. Does this change the calculus?
   2. Moreover, Miguel intended to hit Robby on his injury. Doing so is within the framework of the rules of the tournament, as there is no rule saying “don’t hit an opponent on an injury.” Still, it seems like Miguel is fighting dirty. However, if it's allowed by the rules, does that make Miguel’s actions “fair game”, if it’s allowed by the rules?
      1. Even if it is fair game, what about pulling on Robby’s arm, which definitely was an illegal move?
         Miguel was provoking Robby in that Season 2 high school brawl fight. Is Miguel partly responsible for Robby’s outburst?

These are some of our questions. Let's see what the Torah has to say.

I am excited to welcome Rabbi Mordechai Becher to this episode to answer our questions. Rabbi Becher, originally from Australia, is an instructor at Yeshiva University and alumni Rabbi of Neve Yerushalayim College. He received his ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and holds an MA in Medieval Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School. He taught at Ohr Somayach and Neve Yerushalayim in Jerusalem and served in the Israel Defense Forces. Rabbi Becher has answered thousands of questions on AsktheRabbi.org, presents a Talmud class, Dimensions of the Daf, for the Jewish Broadcasting Service and was senior lecturer for Gateways for 20 years. Rabbi Becher’s latest book, Gateway to Judaism, published by Artscroll, is in its tenth printing. He has taught in the USA, Canada, England, Israel, South Africa, Australia and Russia, and is a scholar in residence for Legacy Kosher Tours. He has led tours in Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, Central America and the Middle East.