{"id":137,"date":"2013-10-21T05:09:02","date_gmt":"2013-10-21T13:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/derechhashem.wordpress.com\/?p=137"},"modified":"2013-10-21T05:09:02","modified_gmt":"2013-10-21T13:39:02","slug":"derech-hashem-124","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/2013\/10\/21\/derech-hashem-124\/","title":{"rendered":"Derech Hashem 1:2:4"},"content":{"rendered":"

The class can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since the polar opposite phenomena of spiritual \u201cperfection\u201d and \u201cimperfection\u201d we\u2019d cited both need to exist [1] in order for humankind to freely choose between them (and to preferably choose perfection, of course), and since humankind had to have an environment in which to make that choice, it stands to reason that it became necessary to create such a setting. The point of the matter is that our universe, with all of its very many components where all of that is to be played out, is just that [2].<\/p>\n

In a sense then, all of reality as we know it is the stage upon which humankind\u2019s great moral-spiritual drama is to be enacted [3].<\/p>\n

Humankind is thus the central character and focus of that reality since it alone can draw close to G-d by its own actions, while everything else is either a member of the \u201dsupporting cast\u201d or a \u201cprop\u201d [4].<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/p>\n

[1]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That is, since the ability to achieve spiritual perfection and to draw close to G-d by pursuing the good and the right, or to settle for spiritual imperfection and to avoid G-d by pursuing the bad and the wrong, had to exist.<\/p>\n

Notice that contrary to common practice, Ramchal doesn\u2019t speak in moral terms here so much as in utilitarian ones, saying in effect \u201cif you want to succeed at what\u2019s good rather than failing at it, then \u2026\u201d rather than \u201cif you want to be good rather than bad, then \u2026.\u201d.<\/p>\n

[2]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Also see Ma\u2019amar HaIkkurim<\/i>, \u201cb\u2019Torah u\u2019Mitzvot<\/i>\u201d.<\/p>\n

[3]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We purposely worded it ambiguously, saying, \u201cin a sense then<\/i>, all of reality as we know it is the stage upon which humankind\u2019s great moral-spiritual drama is to be enacted\u201d because Ramchal might have made another point here, as he did elsewhere.<\/p>\n

For as we said in 1:2:1 note 4, Ramchal posited several reasons for the world\u2019s existence. While he suggests here that it exists to allow for the playing out of human free will and for the chance to draw close to G-d, which we addressed in that note, at other points — as we also said there — he indicated that the world is more than a battlefield for humanity\u2019s spiritual struggles: it\u2019s where G-d will reveal His Sovereignty in the end despite humankind\u2019s efforts, and regardless of the shifting, swaying, confounding, and often inexplicable sway of earthly circumstances.<\/p>\n

See statements to that effect in Da\u2019at Tevunot<\/i> 17, 36, 48, 54, 80, etc.; Klach Pitchei Chochma<\/i> 30 (in Ramchal\u2019s own comments); Adir Bamarom<\/i> pp. 80, 148; etc. And while the point is accentuated here, in Derech Hashem<\/i>, nonetheless see 4:4:1, 7 below. Also see Zohar 1:70b (\u201cAmar R\u2019 Chizkiyah<\/i>\u201d) and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

[4] \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The idea of humankind’s centrality is a subject of great and contrasting discussion among our rabbis. See <\/span>Kohelet Rabbah<\/i> on Ecclesiastes 7:13; <\/span>Sanhedrin<\/i> 37a; Zohar 1:134b; <\/span>Emunot v\u2019Deot<\/i>, introduction to Ch. 4; <\/span>Ikkarim<\/i> 1:11; <\/span>Moreh<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>Nevuchim<\/i>\u00a03:12; <\/span>Avodat HaKodesh<\/i> 3:3 and onward; <\/span>Pardes<\/i> 24:10; <\/span>Eitz Chaim<\/i> 26:1 and 39:4; <\/span>Sha’arei Kiddusha<\/i> 3:2; <\/span>Shelah<\/i>, “<\/span>Asseret Hadibrot<\/i>” 2; <\/span>Leshem<\/i>, <\/span>Sefer<\/i>HaClallim<\/i> \u00a015:11; R’ Tzodek HaCohen, <\/span>Sichat Malachei HaShoret<\/i> 2; etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

(c) 2013 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman<\/span><\/p>\n

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

———————————————————-<\/p>\n

AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here<\/a> at a discount.<\/p>\n

You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here<\/a> at a discount as well.<\/p>\n

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman 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 on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence<\/a>\u201d and \u201cRamchal<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The class can be found here. Since the polar opposite phenomena of spiritual \u201cperfection\u201d and \u201cimperfection\u201d we\u2019d cited both need to exist [1] in order for humankind to freely choose between them (and to preferably choose perfection, of course), and … 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":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2,3,4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jewish-thought","category-kabbalah","category-ramchal","category-torah"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7iqof-2d","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}