{"id":452,"date":"2011-02-23T12:43:59","date_gmt":"2011-02-23T16:43:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ramchal.wordpress.com\/?p=452"},"modified":"2011-02-23T12:43:59","modified_gmt":"2011-02-23T16:43:59","slug":"how-god-interacts-with-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/2011\/02\/23\/how-god-interacts-with-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"How God interacts with the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

Explaining the import of \u201ccircles\u201d as opposed to \u201clines\u201d in the Ari\u2019s depiction, Ramchal makes the following important remark in his comments to Petach<\/em> 13 which will help us understand his discussion of overall providence <\/strong>as opposed to the detailed mode of governance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

He says that \u201cthe causal<\/em> relationship between Sephirot<\/em> [1] can be understood from the \u2018circles\u2019 (that were envisioned), while governance<\/em> [2] can be understood from the \u2018lines\u2019 (that were envisioned)\u201d.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s to say that what Ari\u2019s depiction reveals is that God employs two different systems for interacting with the world through His Sephirot<\/em>: one in which He interacts on a simple, overall<\/strong> cause-and-effect level of governance<\/strong> (i.e., if A happens then B will happen; just as Keter<\/em> brings on Chochma<\/em>, etc.); and another in which He interacts more dynamically and unpredictably in a detailed mode<\/strong> (i.e., if A happens then B may happen or it may not and L might happen; just as Chochma<\/em> can affect Binah<\/em> which is by its side, or Chessed<\/em> which is beneath it, etc.) [3].<\/p>\n

Ramchal expounds upon these two systems elsewhere at length. As he explains it in Da\u2019at<\/em> Tevunot<\/em> (190), on one level, God maintains the world and keeps it moving onward toward its ultimate goal come-what-may and despite specific moral or immoral events in the world. Ramchal terms that mode God\u2019s overall providence<\/strong> since it doesn\u2019t touch on variables. On another level, though, God does indeed take specific moral or immoral events into consideration, and Ramchal terms that the detailed mode of governance <\/strong>since it takes every factor into account [4].<\/p>\n

Understand that the latter can\u2019t thwart God\u2019s goals for the world; all they do is affect our own standing in the world, depending on our spiritual and ethical standing, but that\u2019s besides the subject at hand. But this will be discussed in different junctures in this work.<\/p>\n

This dynamism and interaction also explains Ramchal\u2019s statement in Petach<\/em> 10 (as well as in his comments there) to the effect that the Sephirot<\/em> are interdependent,\u2026 sequential, and \u2026 sequestered within each other<\/strong>, <\/strong>as well as his discussion of Sephirot<\/em> sometimes being \u201cencased\u201d in each other or seeming to \u201cemerge\u201d from another. <\/strong><\/p>\n

But there\u2019s another point to be made here which is fundamentally important: Ari never said anything about two systems of interaction; that\u2019s how Ramchal explains these \u201cmetaphors\u201d. So let\u2019s examine that next.<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/p>\n

[1} \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is termed hishtalshilut<\/em> in Hebrew and it derives from the term for \u201clowering down\u201d (shilshul<\/em>) or acting as a \u201cchain\u201d (shalshelet<\/em>). It thus refers to the descending and causative nature of the Sephirot<\/em> from Keter<\/em> to Chochma<\/em> (etc.) downwards, and to the fixed<\/em> nature of the relationship.<\/p>\n

[2]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is termed hanhaga<\/em> in Hebrew and <\/em>it <\/em>derives from the term for \u201cto lead\u201d \u201cto drive\u201d (nahag<\/em>). And it thus refers to the dynamic<\/em> nature of the Sephirot<\/em> which interact from the top downward, as when Chochma<\/em> leads to Chessed<\/em> or when Binah<\/em> leads to Gevurah<\/em> (etc.), as well as from side to side, as when Chochma<\/em> interacts with Binah<\/em> or when Chessed<\/em> interacts with Gevurah<\/em> (etc.).<\/p>\n

[3]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As Ramchal worded it in Petach<\/em> 10, a<\/strong> (vision of a) \u201ccircle\u201d refers to a circular mode of governance without differentiation as to Chessed<\/em> <\/strong>(Kindness), Din<\/em> <\/strong>(Judgment) or Rachamim<\/em> <\/strong>(Mercy), but rather as <\/strong>(i.e., it\u2019s an expression of) overall providence\u2026. And it is <\/strong>(a depiction of) the mystical notion of causality. The<\/strong> (vision of a) \u201cstraight line\u201d on the other hand indicates a detailed mode of governance that is<\/em> based on<\/strong> Chessed<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>(Kindness), Din<\/em> <\/strong>(Judgment) and Rachamim<\/em> <\/strong>(Mercy, which are themselves laid out as) right, left or center<\/strong> (poles).<\/p>\n

[4] \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Also see Petach<\/em> 96 below; Klallim<\/em> Rishonim<\/em> 36; and Biurim Al Sefer Otzrot Chaim<\/em> 14, 18.<\/p>\n

(c) 2011 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":"

Explaining the import of \u201ccircles\u201d as opposed to \u201clines\u201d in the Ari\u2019s depiction, Ramchal makes the following important remark in his comments to Petach 13 which will help us understand his discussion of overall providence as opposed to the detailed … 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":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"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\/452","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=452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/ramchal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}