Monthly Archives: August 2012

But, where and when did rah originate? Well, other than Ar’i who based himself on the Zohar, few ventured to say [1]. In fact, Maimonides even denies that rah exists — that’s to say, he refutes the idea that there is a separate created entity called rah which God went about creating at a certain point.

We’ll explore that, then some of Ramchal’s ideas about this, too, next.

Notes:

[1]       R’ Yitzchak Ben Yaakov HaCohen of the 13^th Century did speculate about it and based his ideas on 12^th Century R’ Eliezer of Worms’ Chochmat HaNephesh. But that is beyond the speculations of this work.

(c) 2012 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here at a discount.

You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here at a discount as well.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).

Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence” and “Ramchal”.

The tradition owns up to the fact of the inscrutability of wrong [1], yet it counsels us to accept the fact that all is as it must be and is for the good [2]. And let it not be forgotten that God Himself adjudged all of creation to be very good at bottom [3].

Notes:

[1]       See God’s statement: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Ex. 33:19) as cited in Berachot 7a.

[2]       We’re advised to accustom ourselves to say, “All that the Merciful One does is for the good” (Berachot 60b).

[3]       “And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

(c) 2012 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

———————————————————-

AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here at a discount.

You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here at a discount as well.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).

Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence” and “Ramchal”.