Mesirah

Mesirah (or mesira, Hebrew: to turn over‎) is a proscribed action under Jewish law, consisting of informing on or turning a Jew over to non-Jewish authorities.^[1] This may not necessarily apply to reporting legitimate crimes to responsible authority, but does apply to turning over a Jew to an abusive authority, or to a legitimate one who would punish the criminal in ways seen as excessive by the Jewish community, though "excessive" punishment by non-Jews may be permissible if a precept of the Torah has been violated.^[2]

The term for an individual who commits mesirah is a mossur.^[2]

References

1. ^ Elliot N. Dorff (April 2006). Love Your Neighbor and Yourself: A Jewish Approach to Modern Personal Ethics. Jewish Publication Society. pp. 180–. ISBN 9780827608252. http://books.google.com/books?id=OaT0qyAfhMEC&pg=PA180. Retrieved 27 February 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Alfred S. Cohen (1984). Halacha and contemporary society. KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. pp. 100–. ISBN 9780881250428. http://books.google.com/books?id=BnFaZE-Q1JMC&pg=PA100. Retrieved 27 February 2011.