Derech Hashem – The Way of G-d 2:5:5
Never forget, though, that G-d Himself oversees everything in Heaven and on Earth, observing both the root causes of things and their material consequences 1. And His ultimate aim is to see to it that universal perfection be achieved, for it is the spoke around which everything pivots 2.
But one’s own place in all of that depends on a number of factors according to which he or she would either be rejected or approved of, purified or left as is 3, as well as everything else that would need to come about to bring on that universal perfection.
Footnotes:
1 That is, the selfsame system that G-d set up to manage the universe spoken of above could be altered — or even undone — in a moment if G-d wants that to happen, both on the core root level of things and on their offshoots. Since G-d is beholden to nothing and no one, and He always “keeps His eyes on things”, so to speak..
Among many other things, that overseeing of things and its possible consequences also explains the miracles G-d brings about when called for (see 2:5:6 below).
2 See Da’at Tevunot 50 for a discussion about G-d’s two “agendas”: that of reward and punishment (which will eventually be undone), and that of achieving universal perfection (which will be achieved). Also see 2:8:1 below.
3 See Da’at Tevunot 58 and Clallim Rishonim 34. Also see the second chapter of this section for a discussion of what affects one’s spiritual status.
(c) 2018 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org
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Rabbi Feldman’s new annotated translation of Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag’s “Introduction to the Zohar” is available as “The Kabbalah of Self” on Kindle here. His annotated translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here and his annotated translation of Rabbeinu Yonah’s “The Gates of Repentance” is available here.
He has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).
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