Category Archives: Kabbalah, Jewish Thought, Ramchal, Torah, Hashkafa

There’s an apparent paradoxical relationship between God’s foreknowledge and our free will, as we’ll soon see. A number of explanations have been offered about it by the Medieval thinkers, the Kabbalists, Chassidim, and others, but nearly all of them hearken back to Rambam’s (either explaining it or arguing for or against it), so we’ll present Rambam’s own comments and explain it. He says in Hilchot Teshuvah 5:5:

“Perhaps you’ll then say, ‘Isn’t it true that God knows everything beforehand? [It follows then that] He’d either know if someone will be righteous or wrongful or He wouldn’t. [Accordingly,] if He knows that someone will be righteous, then that person can’t not be righteous, whereas if you claim that even if He knows a person will be righteous that person could be wrongful [anyway], then [you’re saying that] God wouldn’t have known something fully [from the first, which is absurd]’.

“Understand that the response to that is as boundless as the earth and as wide as the sea and that many fundamental principles and lofty mountains are suspended upon it. But just know and understand what I’m about to tell you.

“As we explained in the second chapter of Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, God doesn’t know with a knowledge that’s external to Him as does man, whose knowledge is separate from his being.  God and His knowledge are one [and the same], which is something humankind can never fully understand.

“For just as we can never hope to fully understand God’s Essence, as it’s written: ‘No man can see [or grasp] Me and yet live’ (Exodus 33:20), so too can we never hope to fully understand or grasp God’s knowledge. The prophet referred to this when he said: ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways, says God’ (Isaiah 55:8). Since this is so, we consequently don’t have the power to understand how God can know all created beings and their actions.

“But know without a doubt that man’s actions are in his own hands, and that God neither impels nor decrees what he’s to do or not do… “ [1].

In short, God does indeed know what you’re going to do before you do, yet you’re free to do as you will at that moment. Don’t be confused by the seeming contradiction inherent to that, as in fact God’s knowledge isn’t what you think it is. Thinking you understand God’s knowledge would have you infer that you’re impelled to follow what He knows you will do, but disregard that logical leap: you simply have no point of reference when it comes to God Himself of His knowledge. Simply accept the tradition that you’re free to act as you will, which is a reference you can accept as air-tight.

Note:

[1]       Also see Moreh Nevuchim 3:20 and Sh’mone P’rakim Ch. 8.

(c) 2014 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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Since all acts of Tikkun, righteousness, and justice are in fact rooted in the conjunction of MaH and BaN as we’d said, it follows then that everything that was and will be and will occur in the world is rooted there too from the first. That’s because it was always God’s intention that though the world would experience blemishes and the like, it would ultimately be rectified. And that back and forth is all rooted in the conjunction of the ironically “mutually exclusive” forces of MaH and BaN.

Ramchal then adds the following, which opens up a world of implications as we’ll see. He remarks that this phenomenon is tied into the mystical notion of God’s foreknowledge versus human free will. This theme will recur soon enough in Klach so we’ll spend some time explaining it.

(c) 2014 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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

Petach 80 starts off by reiterating a point made earlier on [1] to the effect that all the various sorts of defects, acts of wrongdoing and injustice, and the like that could possibly exist are rooted in BaN. And all the various sorts of Tikkun, acts of righteousness and justice, and the like for those defects are rooted in the conjunction of MaH and BaN.

Footnote:

[1]       See Petach 62 and 11:3 above as well as Klallim Rishonim 34.

(c) 2014 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”.

Here’s how Ramchal explains the need for the following. “After having discussed how the Great (Day of) Judgment will entail a full reckoning of the defects and repairs” brought on by our deeds, “we’d now do well to offer more of an explanation of the source” of those defects and repairs. Because not only are the laudatory repairs rooted in the Divine Forces — the blameworthy defects are, too.

(c) 2014 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”.

Ramchal doesn’t discuss Elijah at any length in his works but we will at this juncture since he’s cited at the end of the verses of Malachi we quoted above, and since he’ll play an important role in the onset of the Messianic Era.

The clearest exposition of Elijah’s role in the end of days is presented at the end of Tractate Eduyot (8:7). We’re told there that “Elijah will come to (the world in the Messianic Era in order to) solve disputations (among the sages’ redactions) … to bring peace to the world, … and to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers”, which is to say that he will establish peace and harmony in the world so that God can establish the same throughout the universe by manifesting His Yichud.

(c) 2014 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”.

Ramchal himself agrees that the Great Day of Judgment will occur after the resurrection of the dead, and that everyone will then be judged. Those deserving of punishment (aside what they’d experienced of it in Gehenom) will suffer it then and will be utterly and eternally undone, while those deserving of reward (aside what they’d experienced of it in the Garden of Eden) will enjoy it then [1].

Everything that had ever occurred in the course of the six millennia of creation will be judged then individually. Then the seventh millennium will begin, when everything will change its form [2]. And then a great rectification will come about on par with what would have occurred had Adam and Eve not erred: all will be pure, all wrongfulness will be undone, and a new and unfathomable world will come about for all of eternity [3].

And as to Elijah’s role in all of this, as referred to in the quote from Malachi above…

Notes:

[1]       Ma’amar HaIkkurim.

[2]       Adir Bamarom p. 52.

[3]       Ma’amar HaGeulah.

(c) 2014 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.

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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”.

There are three “days of judgment” in fact: Rosh Hashanah, when you’re judged for the year to come; the day of your death, when you’re judged for the afterlife; and finally, when you’re to be judged for eternity [1] (which is why it’s termed the “Great” or ultimate Day of Judgment).

The Great Day of Judgment will occur after the resurrection of the dead [2], it will take place in Emek Yehosaphat [3], and it will be a “dark and stunning day — a fearsome and frightening” [4] and “horrific” [5] day.

It’s generally held that everyone’s right to resurrected in fact will be judged then, as well as the ultimate fate of each one’s body and soul [6]. But Ar’i contends that only non-Jews are to be judged then [7].

Two things will serve you especially well in the Great Day of Judgment: your having observed the Shabbat [8] and learned Torah [9].

And after the Great Day of Judgment will have come about God’s presence will become manifest to all [10], and it will become clear that everything that had occurred was purposeful and perfectly and flawlessly set in order [11].

Notes:

[1]       Ramban’s Sha’ar HaGemul.

[2]       Ibid.

[3]       Midrash v’Yoshaiah.

[4]       Otzar HaMidrashim.

[5]       Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudai.

[6]       Ramban’s Sha’ar HaGemul.

[7]       See Nephesh HaChaim 1:17, implying that they alone would need to be judged whereas the body and souls of all Jews will automatically merit The World to Come.

[8]       Mechilta, Beshalach.

[9]       Midrash Daniel.

[10]     Midrash Tanchuma, Shoftim.

[11]     Otzar HaMidrashim.

(c) 2014 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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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”.

Apropos to the sort of judgment spoke of until now in this section, Petach 79 offers that at the time of the Great Day of Judgment all the deeds of the world will be arranged and evaluated in the order in which they were carried out from the beginning of the universe until its end.

So we’ll first address the traditional view of the Great Day of Judgment and point to Ramchal’s remarks about it elsewhere.

(c) 2014 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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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 Petach concludes with the remark that at the end of the entire cycle i.e., at the end of time as we know it, there will be a complete Tikkun that would be based on everything that was done, good or — God forbid — bad.

That alludes to what was said above [1] to the effect that right and wrong will continue to exist in the course of history — as represented by the earlier statement in this Petach that nothing either good, bad, or a combination of the two is even forgotten before His Throne of Glory — until God’s will to bestow goodness will hold sway, His Yichud will be revealed, and everything will achieve perfection.

The thing to recall is that all of this plays itself out and functions in the Attik realm, the subject of the previous section which is being expanded upon in this section.

Note:

[1] See Petach 30.

(c) 2014 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”.