{"id":326,"date":"2015-05-31T05:30:24","date_gmt":"2015-05-31T14:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/derechhashem.wordpress.com\/?p=326"},"modified":"2015-05-31T05:30:24","modified_gmt":"2015-05-31T14:00:24","slug":"derech-hashem-158","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/2015\/05\/31\/derech-hashem-158\/","title":{"rendered":"Derech Hashem 1:5:8"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though G-d certainly manifests and allows for goodness by turning His \u201cface\u201d toward one thing or another [1] He also manifests and allows for evil [2] by hiding His \u201cface\u201d and by simply disallowing for goodness to occur in that instance. It\u2019s just that He\u2019s not the perpetrator<\/em> of evil [3].<\/p>\n

In fact, G-d created a specific system for evil to exist and function [4], and He did that with the specific intention of having evil — as well as goodness — carry out His ultimate designs for humankind and the universe [5].<\/p>\n

This system, which we\u2019ll expand upon later [6], is comprised of a different order of phenomena than that of the Transcendent Forces, and all manifestations of evil and imperfection derive from this system. Ultimately, though, all of the phenomena within this system derive from G-d\u2019s concealing His \u201cface\u201d, with greater instances of concealment allowing for greater instances of evil [7].<\/p>\n

At bottom, then, goodness is withheld and the Transcendent Forces are weakened when the system of evil rules, while goodness is strengthened and the Transcendent Forces are themselves rectified and made secure when the system of evil is subjugated.<\/p>\n

As such, everything we\u2019ve said about the existence of goodness and evil [8], about the battle between reason and physicality [9], and about things being rectified and defective [10] is rooted in these two systems [11]. For when one is either fortified or overpowered its qualities and effects influence creation one way, while when the other is fortified or overpowered its qualities and effects influence creation the other way.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Footnotes<\/p>\n

[1]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See 1:5:7.<\/p>\n

[2]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2026given that He\u2019s the Creator of everything.<\/p>\n

This is meant to deny the claims of those in antiquity who held that evil was created by another being. See Da\u2019at Tevunot<\/em> 36 for a discussion of this misreading of G-d\u2019s abilities and intentions. But in fact we should be flummoxed by the fact that G-d would have created evil given that He\u2019s over-achingly benevolent, as was pointed out in 1:2:1. This dilemma is discussed in Da\u2019at Tevunot<\/em> 30, 36 and in Klach Pitchei Chochma <\/em>47, and is the subject of\u00a0the discussion below.<\/p>\n

[3]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s to say that while He allows<\/em> for it to occur by turning His \u201cface\u201d away, He Himself doesn\u2019t commit evil.<\/p>\n

That apparently indicates that goodness is the \u201cdefault mode\u201d of the universe. It\u2019s just that there are times when evil must manifest itself because it too serves an important purpose (see below). G-d then \u201csuppresses\u201d His goodness which itself allows for evil.<\/p>\n

Again the point is that while G-d doesn\u2019t commit evil, He sometimes allows for it passively. See arcane discussions of the issues raised here in Adir Bamarom <\/em>p. 344 and in Otzrot Ramchal <\/em>p. 203, and see Da\u2019at Tevunot <\/em>100-114, 130.<\/p>\n

[4]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0This system is the mirror image of the system within which the Transcendent Forces operate, in keeping with the principle known as \u201cG-d has made one to correspond to the other\u201d (Ecclesiastes 7:14), which is roughly analogous to Newton\u2019s rule\u00a0 that for every action there\u2019s an equal and opposite reaction.<\/p>\n

[5]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That is, contrary to the common notion, evil serves God, too; it also has a role in the playing out of G-d\u2019s intentions for the universe. For, nothing can countervail G-d\u2019s intentions or thwart His designs; everything<\/em> is beholden to Him.<\/p>\n

[6]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See 2:8:2 and 3:2:8 as well as Klallei Pitchei Chochma v\u2019Da\u2019at <\/em>8.<\/p>\n

[7]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That is, while this phenomenon is the overarching basis for the existence of evil it nonetheless plays itself out through the alternative system spoken of above that evil functions under.<\/p>\n

[8]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See 1:5:7.<\/p>\n

[9]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See 1:3:2.<\/p>\n

[10]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See 1:5:7.<\/p>\n

[11]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That is, they\u2019re rooted in the conflicting roles of these systems.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(c) 2015 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman<\/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":"

Though G-d certainly manifests and allows for goodness by turning His \u201cface\u201d toward one thing or another [1] He also manifests and allows for evil [2] by hiding His \u201cface\u201d and by simply disallowing for goodness to occur in that … 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":[2,3,4,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jewish-thought","category-kabbalah","category-ramchal","category-torah","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7iqof-5g","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326","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=326"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/derechhashem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}