{"id":342,"date":"2019-01-03T22:29:10","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T22:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/?p=342"},"modified":"2019-01-03T22:29:10","modified_gmt":"2019-01-03T22:29:10","slug":"daat-tevunot-33-%c2%b6s-103-115","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/2019\/01\/03\/daat-tevunot-33-%c2%b6s-103-115\/","title":{"rendered":"Da\u2019at Tevunot 3:3 (\u00b6\u2019s 103- 115)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Da\u2019at Tevunot <\/em>3:3 (\u00b6\u2019s 103- 115)<\/p>\n

1.<\/p>\n

It seems logical, doesn\u2019t it, that goodness would be a product of something that emanates goodness while wrongfulness would be a product of some other thing that emanates wrongfulness 1<\/sup>? But it\u2019s not that simple, since it\u2019s G-d alone who\u2019s the source of all emanations 2<\/sup>, and He never emanates wrongfulness as He\u2019s the consummate source of goodness.<\/p>\n

But, where then does wrongfulness come from? Isn\u2019t G-d depicted as \u201cmaking peace and creating wrong<\/em>\u201d? (Isaiah 45:7).<\/p>\n

2.<\/p>\n

For one thing it\u2019s written \u201ccreating<\/em> wrong\u201d rather than \u201cbringing about <\/em>wrong\u201d; as while G-d certainly brought wrongfulness into existence — \u00a0otherwise it would never exist — He nonetheless never actually brings about wrongfulness Himself\u00a0 3<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

But there are a few other vexing verses that touch on G-d\u2019s interactions with the world, including, \u201cO L-rd, … You hid Your countenance and I became frightened\u201d (Psalms 30:8), \u201cYou hide Your countenance and they are frightened\u201d (Psalms 104:29) and, \u201cI will abandon them and hide My countenance from them, and they will be consumed\u201d (Deuteronomy 31:17) 4<\/sup>. What those verses allude to is the fact that while G-d brings about goodness through His emanations, to be sure, wrongfulness is a consequence of His withdrawing <\/em>His emanation to one degree or another –<\/em>– or even annulling <\/em>it by hiding His \u201ccountenance\u201d \u00a05<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

3.<\/p>\n

In point of fact, G-d\u2019s emanations are always meant to bring about what\u2019s ultimately best for their intended recipient, though they\u2019re sometimes withheld. If they\u2019re completely <\/em>withheld from someone, then that individual would experience a complete and utter loss of some sort, whereas if it would only be withheld somewhat <\/em>from him then he\u2019d suffer a degree of loss, but no more 6<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

And so, for example, when G-d\u2019s emanation is in full force, its recipient is alive and vibrant, whereas he\u2019d die if it were completely withheld from him, and become sick or made to suffer if it would only be partially withheld.<\/p>\n

So there aren\u2019t two separate sources of emanations, one for goodness and the other for wrongfulness. Everything <\/em>is a product of one degree or another of G-d\u2019s own emanation or His withholding of it. \u00a0As such, wrong is simply the lack of some degree or another of goodness.<\/p>\n

4,<\/p>\n

In fact, were we to somehow observe all of the instances of right and wrong in the world and truly comprehend their circumstances, we\u2019d see for ourselves that all instances of wrongfulness are a consequence of a lack of righteousness 7<\/sup>. So there\u2019s simply no logical reason to claim that there are two sources of emanation. Instead, there\u2019s one single 8 <\/sup>emanation that either functions fully, partially, or not at all, as we\u2019d said.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the world is clearly intricate and complex, and full of instances of right and wrong. And everything that\u2019s right and just is a direct result of G-d\u2019s emanation while everything wrong and unjust is a consequence of His withdrawing of it to one degree or another, given that — even if we don\u2019t perceive it as such — absolutely everything is ultimately from G-d.<\/p>\n

5.<\/p>\n

Now, you might wonder. though, how anything can come about at all if there\u2019s some sort of a withdrawal of Divine emanation. And you might then assert that G-d must have created wrongfulness in fact, otherwise it simply couldn\u2019t come about.<\/p>\n

But it comes to this 9<\/sup>: when we refer to G-d\u2019s having created the universe we need to realize that He first created the whole of nature and reality itself in broad strokes, and then their specific elements. And then He decided to create the elements of right and wrong in the mix. He emitted an 10 <\/sup>emanation\u00a0to do that which was all good 11<\/sup>. But some <\/em>of it was withheld, which was an innovation 12 <\/sup>and a contradiction of G-d\u2019s pristine and all good emanation, and an aberration. And that was all for the allowance of wrongfulness.<\/p>\n

Certain consequences just naturally came about once that happened of course, some of which are good and others bad. But even the bad consequences ultimately derived from G-d\u2019s 13 <\/sup>emanations, given that absolutely everything does. Thus admixtures of right and wrong came about and continue to exist in the world.<\/p>\n

So, the original emanation was never utterly withheld or else the world would cease to exist. It is only true that it was partially <\/em>withheld.<\/p>\n

That also explains why some people become ill rather than die from one thing or another — because they were to have been inflicted by the withholding of G-d\u2019s emanation, but only to a particular degree rather than completely. \u00a0Thus diseases and the like are innovations, if you will, on the original fact of whole-hearted emanations.<\/p>\n

Thus we see that G-d in fact does nothing wrongful Himself, but He sometimes withholds His emanations which result in wrongfulness 14<\/sup>. But there\u2019s a lot more to be said about this, as we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

Footnotes:<\/p>\n

1<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is a continuation of the discussion begun in the previous chapter, 3:2.<\/p>\n

2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>Ultimately, as there are many intercedents like sephirot<\/em>, angels, and more.<\/p>\n

3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>See Ramchal\u2019s discussion of human free will and our own subsequent ability to bring wrongfulness about in 1:11 above.<\/p>\n

4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>See 3:8 below for a discussion of G-d hiding His \u201ccountenance\u201d.<\/p>\n

5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>That is, while G-d ordinarily brings about goodness proactively by emanating it full-forcedly, He nevertheless passively <\/em>allows for wrongfulness by hiding His \u201ccountenance\u201d — I.e., His immanent attention — to one degree or another from something or someone.<\/p>\n

6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>The idea of G-d withholding His goodness from someone for his or her own good is complex and often fraught with misunderstanding. In short it comes down to the idea of allowing someone to suffer to a small degree to prevent great suffering later on (much the way surgery, which is inherently dangerous and painful, is often utilized to prevent far greater danger and pain, which is alluded to below).<\/p>\n

7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>This seems to be a broad and unsubstantiated statement, but isn\u2019t it true for example that we suffer harm when others aren\u2019t kind to us? And aren\u2019t crimes and acts of violence rooted in meanness and callousness?<\/p>\n

8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>Essential and primal.<\/p>\n

9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>See Clallim Rishonim <\/em>11 for a discussion of what\u2019s to follow.<\/p>\n

10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>Single essential and primal.<\/p>\n

11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>It was all good because that\u2019s the inherent nature of G-d\u2019s pristine emanation.<\/p>\n

12\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>That is, this phenomenon was created anew to serve its specific purposes in the created world.<\/p>\n

13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>Still-and-all inherently good.<\/p>\n

14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>In the end it comes to this. Acts of true and full goodness, justice, and righteousness are directly and vigorously nourished by G-d\u2019s emanations, to be sure; but when it comes to acts of evil, injustice, and wrongfulness, G-d only enables those sorts of things to come about back-handedly<\/em>, if you will, reluctantly<\/em>, by reducing or undoing His emanations to them to one degree or another.<\/p>\n

(c) 2019 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman<\/p>\n

Feel free to contact me at\u00a0feldman@torah.org<\/a><\/p>\n

———————————————————-<\/p>\n

Rabbi Feldman’s new annotated translation of Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag\u2019s \u201cIntroduction to the Zohar\u201d is available as \u201cThe Kabbalah of Self\u201d on Kindle\u00a0here<\/a>. His annotated translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0and his annotated translation of Rabbeinu Yonah\u2019s “The Gates of Repentance” is available\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).<\/p>\n

Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes\u00a0torah.org<\/a>\u00a0entitled \u201cSpiritual Excellence<\/a>\u201d and \u201cRamchal<\/a>\u201d that can be subscribed to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Da\u2019at Tevunot 3:3 (\u00b6\u2019s 103- 115) 1. It seems logical, doesn\u2019t it, that goodness would be a product of something that emanates goodness while wrongfulness would be a product of some other thing that emanates wrongfulness 1? But it\u2019s not … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7iqo7-5w","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=342"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":344,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342\/revisions\/344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/daattevunot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}