"... Kaminsky has shown that although the notion of individual accountability enjoyed increased emphasis following the trauma of the Babylonian exile, the notion of collective accountability did not disappear. (For the continued importance of the individual, see Daniel 6:25; Esther 9:7-10; Matthew 23:29-36; John 9:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16; Leviticus Rabbah 4:6; b. Sanhedrin 43b-44) Ben Sira offers a relatively lengthy discussion concerning the children of the wicked ... The curses awaiting the children of sinners are numerous: a bad reputation, loss of wealth, shame, and contempt for their father. The association of children of sinners with other ungodly individuals invites even more negative consequences, as Sirach 22:13 suggests, because the troubles of the wicked seem to be contagious for those who associate with them. The intragenerational consequences of this will be explored below in connection with Sirach 22:13, but it is important to note in the discussion of Sirach 41:5-10 that the children of the ungodly face insuperable odds in avoiding the retribution incurred by their parents. The passage suggests that the children of sinners are by their very nature detestable. That they dwell among the ungodly could be a case either of like attracting like or of the unbreakable cycle of wickedness; because the child’s father is wicked and exposes his son to his wicked accomplices, the child inherits the negative consequences of his father’s actions and associations ..."