It comes to this, and it\u2019s based on reward and punishment, and on God\u2019s ultimate agenda.<\/p>\n
As has been indicated in very many places as well as in many of Ramchal\u2019s own works, we\u2019ve each been granted the capacity — and responsibility — to rectify things, the entire universe included. And the means given us to do that is the mitzvah<\/em> system. Follow that system and thus help rectify the universe, and you\u2019re to be eternally rewarded; breach it and you\u2019re to be penalized. It stands to reason then that God judges each one of our deeds in the light of what we\u2019d contributed to or denied from universal rectification.<\/p>\n But as Ramchal indicates, His judgment is based on the whole of one\u2019s deeds — on past, present, and future ones, and on the past, present, and future of each specific deed<\/em>. Here\u2019s how he explains that in another work, using much of the same terminology that he uses in our Petach<\/em>.<\/p>\n God judges each deed, but \u201cthere\u2019s no comparison between a rectified deed that follows (on the heels of) a blemished one, or a rectified deed that follows (on the heels of) one or even two other blemished acts, etc.\u201d and an ordinary rectified or blemished deed. Indeed, \u201cGod observes all (of that) and takes it all into account when He judges us for reward or punishment [1].<\/p>\n So, the statement in our Petach<\/em> to the effect that each deed\u2019s outcome continues to exist even when the deed <\/strong>itself is gone <\/strong>refers to each deed\u2019s past, present, and future components being a part of its makeup and contributing to the judgments made upon it. And the remark that a flaw <\/strong>that has been repaired, <\/strong>still exhibits the trace of the <\/strong>original flaw <\/strong>and it doesn\u2019t disappear — it remains a flaw that has <\/strong>nonetheless been <\/strong>repaired, etc., is identical to the statement that \u201ca rectified act that follows (on the heels of) a blemished one, or a rectified act that follows (on the heels of) one or even two other blemished acts, etc.\u201d, in that its past, present, and future all matter at one and the same time when being judged.<\/p>\n At bottom his point is that nothing is solid or fixed: everything is an ever-spinning brew of past, present, and future, of change, and of progression and regression, and will judged accordingly. That is, God observes and judges us much the way we\u2019re to observe and judge a sweet, shiny red tomato\u2019s present makeup by taking into account its hard dull green immature past, as well as its decimated, mulch brown future as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Footnotes:<\/p>\n 1. Klallim<\/em> Rishonim<\/em> 34 (towards the end). Also see Da\u2019at<\/em> Tevunot<\/em> 170 and Ma\u2019amar<\/em> HaChochma<\/em> (on Zichronot<\/em> in the Mussaf<\/em> of Rosh<\/em> Hashanah<\/em>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (c) 2014 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman ———————————————————-<\/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":" It comes to this, and it\u2019s based on reward and punishment, and on God\u2019s ultimate agenda. As has been indicated in very many places as well as in many of Ramchal\u2019s own works, we\u2019ve each been granted the capacity — … Continue reading
\nFeel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org<\/a><\/p>\n