{"id":1998,"date":"2015-03-01T10:27:05","date_gmt":"2015-03-01T15:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ramchal.wordpress.com\/?p=1998"},"modified":"2015-03-01T10:27:05","modified_gmt":"2015-03-01T15:27:05","slug":"petach-82-revisited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/2015\/03\/01\/petach-82-revisited\/","title":{"rendered":"Petach 82 revisited"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Here’s the rewrite we promised.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Petach <\/em>82 touches upon another vital issue and begins with the statement that t<\/strong>he Tikkun granted each individual soul<\/strong> is a result of how the conjunction of MaH and BaN is arranged<\/strong> in his own instance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ramchal explains that in Klallim<\/em> Rishonim<\/em> (34) where he says that it\u2019s important to know that \u201cthere are things \u2026 that are rectified thanks to an abundance of light (i.e., Divine generosity) and by (Divine) benevolence (toward one person or another), and there are others that \u2026 are rectified by (one suffering) tribulations, poverty, and want that have nothing to do with (one\u2019s) merits or misconduct, but rather on the makeup of the created world alone\u201d and on \u201cthe (makeup of the) conjunction of MaH<\/em> and BaN<\/em>\u201d [1].<\/p>\n

That\u2019s to say that some things happen simply because the makeup of creation requires it to happen that way, and because it falls under the rubric of the immutable and non-linear workings of the mysterious conjunction of MaH<\/em> and BaN<\/em>, though it may or not seem fair.<\/p>\n

He goes on to say there that the system of reward and punishment will<\/em> play itself out in the Afterlife and the World to Come to be sure (thus things will prove to be fair in the end, as others have posited which we\u2019ll see below), but it often just doesn\u2019t play itself out that way in this world.<\/p>\n

Not only is that so, but in fact, the <\/strong>whole vexing issue of <\/strong>why \u201ca righteous person <\/strong>sometimes does well\u201d <\/strong>while at other times \u201ca righteous person suffers\u201d derives from this<\/strong>, too, Ramchal points out here. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>This seeming contradiction of God\u2019s inherent goodness and justice is discussed widely and is termed \u201cTheodicy\u201d. We\u2019ll present traditional Jewish responses to it, Kabbalistic, and then Ramchal\u2019s own.<\/p>\n

The issue was first raised in Tanach, where Kohelet<\/em> said, \u201cI have noticed everything in the days of my vanity (including the fact that) there can be a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and a wicked man who lives long in his wickedness.\u201d (Ecclesiastes 7:15) [2],<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s discussed at great length and in depth in the Talmudic and the medieval literature, among the pre-modern and modern traditionalists, as well in the Zohar, the writings of the Ari, and in various places in Ramchal\u2019s works, as we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

The Yalkut<\/em> Shimoni<\/em> (Kohelet<\/em> Ch. 9, 989) takes a rather singular (so-very-human) and shockingly mordant and unorthodox view of the whole issue of the occasional and unexpected bad fortune of the righteous and good fortune of the wrongful. It says that in fact everything happens by chance, and that there\u2019s no reason to say that the righteous should necessarily do well any more than there\u2019s reason to say that the wrongful should necessarily do badly! We\u2019re sure the Midrash is only expressing (and lamenting) an often-felt but ill-advised perspective on things, but it\u2019s still an astoundingly unexpected statement [3].<\/p>\n

Others acknowledge the reality of the situation and chalk it up to God\u2019s secrets or mysteries that are beyond human reckoning [4]<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, the point that will made over and over again is that the righteous will get their just reward and the wrongful will suffer in the Afterlife despite their circumstances in life, and it\u2019s first stated in the Sifre<\/em> (53) and reiterated many times over [5].<\/p>\n

But there are several explanations offered for why the righteous sometimes suffer and the wrongful sometimes succeed. Some say it\u2019s due to external reasons — because of the sins or mitzvot of their forebears [6], or because of the extent of the Exile and the dispersion of our people [7]. Others say it\u2019s the fault of the few sins of the righteous themselves and the few good deeds of the wrongful [8], because they weren\u2019t zealous enough to ask God to judge the wrongful of their own generation [9], because of sins in past lives [35] or because they hadn\u2019t been dwelling on God\u2019s presence [10].<\/p>\n

And the Zohar explains that the righteous sometimes suffer seemingly unfairly because they\u2019re negatively affected by the sins and sinners of their generation, or so as to not sin themselves one way or another at a later point. And the wrongful sometimes succeed either because God knows that they\u2019ll eventually repent and become righteous, because they\u2019ll eventually have righteous descendants, or because they\u2019ll do (or will have done) a momentous mitzvah that deserved so great a reward [11].<\/p>\n

As to Ramchal himself, he agrees that the righteous suffer for the few sins they\u2019d have committed and that they\u2019ll be rewarded in the Afterlife for their overall righteousness, but he nonetheless doesn\u2019t take the suffering as instances of Divine retribution but rather as \u201cremedies\u201d for the harm the righteous had done to themselves [12]<\/p>\n

He also offers that the righteous sometimes suffer for the sake of others of their generation (thus agreeing with the Zohar cited above), and so as to bring about the ultimate Tikkun<\/em> in the future, for which they are to be rewarded in the Afterlife [13].<\/p>\n

But it seems that his greatest point is the one cited above that sometimes the makeup of things requires that the righteous suffer and the wrongful do well because it falls under the rubric of the immutable and non-linear workings of the conjunction of MaH<\/em> and BaN<\/em>. For as he ends this Petach<\/em>, there seems to be no <\/strong>other good reason for this<\/strong> incongruity to exist, given that <\/strong>our souls are rooted in the Partzufim<\/em> of <\/strong>the world of Atzilut<\/em>. But in truth this mystical phenomenon is rooted in this hidden conjunction <\/strong>of MaH<\/em> and BaN<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Notes:<\/p>\n

[1]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Also see Da\u2019at<\/em> Tevunot<\/em> 166.<\/p>\n

[2]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Also see 8:14 there; Jeremiah 12:1; Habakkuk<\/em> 1:3-4, 13; Psalms 73:12-14; Malachi 3:15; etc.<\/p>\n

[3]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What\u2019s interesting there is the characterization of the people who point out that the righteous often suffer in this world as people who \u201cfold their arms (over their chest)\u201d in underserved satisfaction, thinking they\u2019ve made a profound and original point, when they\u2019ve not.<\/p>\n

[4]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chovot<\/em> HaLevovot<\/em> 4:3, Ramban\u2019s Drasha al Divrei Kohelet, and <\/em>Moreh<\/em> Nevuchim<\/em> 3:23.<\/p>\n

[30] Shabbat<\/em> 30b; Chovot<\/em> HaLevovot<\/em> 4:3; Ramban\u2019s Drasha al Divrei Kohelet<\/em>, and Hakdamah<\/em> to Peirush l\u2019Sefer Iyov; <\/em>Kuzari<\/em> 3:11; and Moreh<\/em> Nevuchim<\/em> 3:23.<\/p>\n

[5]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Berachot 7a and Chovot<\/em> HaLevovot<\/em> 4:3.<\/p>\n

[6]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kuzari 3:11.<\/p>\n

[7]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ta\u2019anit<\/em> 11a; Emunot<\/em> V\u2019De\u2019ot<\/em> 5:3; Chovot<\/em> HaLevovot<\/em> 4:3; Ramban\u2019s Drasha al Divrei Kohelet <\/em>and Hakdamah<\/em> to Peirush l\u2019Sefer Iyov<\/em>; and Moreh<\/em> Nevuchim<\/em> 3:23,<\/p>\n

[8]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chovot<\/em> HaLevovot<\/em> 4:3.<\/p>\n

[9]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Torat<\/em> HaAdam and Sha\u2019ar<\/em> HaGilgulim<\/em> 36.<\/p>\n

[10]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Moreh<\/em> Nevuchim<\/em> 3:51.<\/p>\n

[11]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Zohar 2, p. 10b.<\/p>\n

[12]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Derech<\/em> Hashem<\/em> 2:2:5. In fact, Ramchal very often avoids the whole notion of wrath or retribution, but that\u2019s a subject unto itself.<\/p>\n

[13]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Derech<\/em> Hashem<\/em> 2:3:8, also see Da\u2019at<\/em> Tevunot<\/em> 166 for reference to the seeming unfairness that will be proven not to be so after the great Tikkun<\/em>.<\/p>\n

(c) 2015 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
\nFeel 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":"

(Here’s the rewrite we promised.) Petach 82 touches upon another vital issue and begins with the statement that the Tikkun granted each individual soul is a result of how the conjunction of MaH and BaN is arranged in his own … 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],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kabbalah-jewish-thought-ramchal-torah-hashkafa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}