Though we haven’t exactly finished exploring the gist of Erich Anpin, we’ll add these fascinating remarks about it that Ramchal offers in Klallei Milchamat Moshe (7).
He speaks there of an order of governance whose role is to allow for the preservation of the universe. Why would it need that? “It would be impossible for the universe to continue on as it is based on the actions of the lower entities”, i.e., based on humankind’s actions, given what we are. “It would have been destroyed a number of times already” if it depended on us.
Hence, “there’s an order of governance that’s rooted in benevolence, whose role is to manifest benevolence” and to disallow judgment to take its (rightful) toll. “This utterly benevolent order is termed Erich Anpin“. It functions this way at all junctures and covertly (as a rule). “And so the universe continues” thanks to it. But sometimes it manifests itself overtly in known ways and for particular reasons, Ramchal concludes.
We would add that this statement affirms the deep hopes and faith of many that despite it all, God’s goodness and mercy will always prevail in the end.
(c) 2015 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org
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