Part IV
The first parts showed how covert miracles reveal the foundations of emunah and that through these miracles Hashem allocates reward and punishment for our deeds. In addition there is a Divine hanhogo called mazal which, the Ramchal explains, is the handing out of different duties to each person according to his neshomoh's root without connection to the reward and punishment that he deserves or that he gets in this world.
The first parts of this important essay also quoted the Ramban who said that the performance of miracles establishes basic principles of the Torah. However, covert miracles, which are performed by Hashem all the time in arranging the world in an appropriate way in response to the way people act in doing mitzvos, praying and so on, are also a basic foundation of Torah. Nonetheless, the justice in the way the world is run is not always apparent.
There are also sources in Chazal that say that important parts of life are dependent on mazal and not on zchus. One point is that Hashem does not forgo sins so that our reward will be complete. To ignore any sin would cast a severe pall over one's reward in the World of Truth. Also, Hashem established two ways of conducting the world: for those who can meet the high standard He employs the middas hadin as He "originally" thought in making the world, and for those who cannot meet this standard he uses a middas horachamim that is more lenient.
In this part the Mashgiach zt'l explains, among other matters, the correlation between reward and punishment and mazal, and the tikkun of gilgul.
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IV: I Will Be Gracious To Whom I Will Be Gracious
The gemora (Brochos 7a) writes: "R' Yochonon said in the name of R' Yosi: `Moshe asked three things of HaKodosh Boruch Hu and He gave them to him . . . He asked to be informed of the ways of HaKodosh Boruch Hu, and Hashem gave that to him, as is written: "Inform me of Your ways" (Shemos 33:13). He said before Him: "Ruler of the World! Why is there a tzaddik who lives well and there is another tzaddik who lives a hard life, there is a rosho who lives well and another rosho who lives a hard life?"'"
The gemora tells us that according to R' Meir, Moshe Rabbenu a'h did not receive an answer to his request. HaKodosh Boruch Hu answered him: "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious" (Shemos 33:19) — "even though he is not fitting." Moshe could not receive any answer because a mortal is incapable of understanding the answer.
Chazal teach us that the difficult request of Moshe Rabbenu to be informed of the ways of Hashem meant that he wanted to know why tzaddikim are not all equal. If tzaddikim were equal, if they all suffered in Olom Hazeh, that would not be so hard to grasp. The reason for such conduct would be clear: the essential system of reward and punishment obligated this to be the case, that all their reward be saved for them in the World to Come — Olom Haboh. But Moshe Rabbenu's request of HaKodosh Boruch Hu was that since there are some tzaddikim who have a good life, he wanted Hashem to inform him of His ways: why then, are there other tzaddikim who have a hard life. This is the way Chazal's teaching should be understood.
The Hanhogo of "A Tzaddik Living a Hard Life" Is Not Necessarily According to Reward and Punishment
About this HaRav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto zt'l (the Ramchal) wrote in Da'as Tevunos (section 9 in the edition of HaRav C. Friedlander): "The neshomoh said: The details [why this "particular" tzaddik is different from another tzaddik] I cannot understand and will put aside. However, the general principle [why there is a tzaddik who has a hard life and one who does not] should at least be understood by the righteous, that I may at least have guidance and straight reasoning in the expanse of all these matters. Then, of what I do not grasp with my intellect, I will say to myself: `You are not obliged to finish the work' (Ovos 2:16)."
Later in sections 166-170, the Ramchal explains that one tzaddik's suffering in Olom Hazeh while the other succeeds, is not only according to the system of reward and punishment but also may be according to Hashem's will in His unique and open conduct with the world:
[Editor's note: The following paragraphs (until the end of this section) are taken from Da'as Tevunos chapters 166-170 which contain insights in the ways of G-d that are based on concepts above the understanding of mortals. In the Hebrew edition of the Sichos Chochmah Umussar the material appearing here is almost verbatim quotations from the Da'as Tevunos and consequently very hard to understand. Because of the importance of the thoughts contained therein, an attempt has been made to clarify the main points by using concepts from other parts of Da'as Tevunos. For a more complete understanding it is suggested that one refer directly to the Da'as Tevunos itself, chapters 166- 170, edition of Rav Chaim Friedlander.]
It is known that we can never understand Hashem's reasons for whatever he does — "Ki lo machshevosai machshevoseichem — My thoughts (way of thinking) are not the same as yours." All we can know is what Hashem made known to us, how to relate to what He has done, and to try to understand these actions in relationship to us and what is therefore expected of us.
One of the basic ways that G-d has chosen to rule the world is through reward and punishment. According to that way of conduct tzadikim will be rewarded both in this world and in the world to come, and reshoim will be punished both in this world and in the world to come. However, since almost every tzaddik has some aveiros and almost every rosho has some mitzvos, G-d, Who is completely just and rewards and punishes for every action, will therefore mete out the punishment to the tzadikim for their aveiros in Olom Hazeh where it's not so consequential and leave their untainted reward for Olom Haboh. The reverse is for the reshoim, giving them the reward for the mitzvos in Olom Hazeh and their punishment after death in Gehennom or worse. (See Derech Hashem section II chapter II for a more elaborate explanation and clarification.)
Although the fact that the tzaddik suffers in Olom Hazeh while the rosho enjoys himself and has all the good of Olom Hazeh makes it more difficult for one to be a strong believer in reward and punishment by a Divine superpower, that is, Hashem ("Lomoh zeh derech reshoim tzoleicho") — yet when one understands this way of Hashem in reward and punishment, it gives him the understanding and faith to believe in the Divine Providence involved.
With this manner of Divine Providence, the only bad and suffering there will be in the world will be caused by man himself, namely, the suffering of the tzadikim in Olom Hazeh for their aveirosand the suffering of the reshoim in both Olom Hazeh and Olom Haboh. Therefore we would have to look at suffering and wickedness not as a means to anything but just as retribution for negative actions. Should there be a situation where just about everyone was doing good, then there would be hardly any bad in Olom Hazeh.
However, there is another, much deeper, understanding of there being evil and corruption and the like in Olom Hazeh. This is by going to a deeper meaning that was given to us, to understand what Hashem wants to accomplish with this world. Hashem desires that ultimately His Oneness and Omnipotence be completely known and understood by all. That will best be shown by His overcoming all wickedness and corruption, as strong as they may be, in such a manner that the wickedness and corruption will cease of their own doing, that is, as a result of their own actions. By creating evil and then overcoming the evil in such a manner that the evil itself will be a vehicle to see the strength of Hashem, will Hashem's omnipotence be more completely shown and seen by all.
Through this there will be a complete rectification of all that is evil, in that the evil itself will change and be shown to have been only a vehicle of Hashem to show His Oneness and that it was created by Him for that purpose. The world will therefore first descend into the depths of depravity — so much that just a little more and it would never be able to ascend once again to a moral spiritual level. Hashem — who is in control of all situations — will fuel this limited degradation by giving power to those who have chosen to do wrong, and by allowing them to rise to almost unlimited heights of wrongness and corruption, and by lowering the esteem of the tzadikim. He will make it seem that evil, wickedness, immorality and depravity are the sole powers in the world and that those who do good and, notwithstanding it all, still cling to their faith in Hashem are foolish, unfortunate and deprived people. He will cause suffering specifically for those who are strong enough in their faith, more than really should happen to them (even after taking into consideration their small amount of aveiros) and create the mistaken impression that ozav Hashem es ho'oretz — Hashem has forsaken (or has no more power over) the earth.
At times like this the nisyonos of one remaining steadfast in his faith and conduct will be very trying and difficult. Since this evil was put into the world for the sole purpose of testing people, those who succeed in overcoming this test will have used this badness and corruption as a steppingstone to strong complete faith. As such the badness itself will be used to serve Hashem (much as the gallows that Haman erected for Mordechai was used to hang himself).
Hashem chose to show His strength and His Oneness — that only He has the power and no one nor anything else (ein od milevado, there is nothing in existence other than Him) — by creating forces of evil that seemingly negate His essence and existence, and then overcoming and overthrowing these very forces. Were it not for the darkness we wouldn't see how good light is. This makes His Oneness and Omnipotence known more than in any other way.
Should this be done by tzadikim in this world, that in the face of the flourishing of evil and its rampant control of the world, still they don't bow and succumb to its pressure and remain steadfast in their faith in Hashem, then this will be the overcoming of the forces of evil — at least potentially — which will eventually come to its complete fruition by Hashem, but through the merit of tzadikim. In this manner the evil itself will be the reason for more recognition of the oneness and omnipotence of Hashem.
These tzadikim will of course be doubly rewarded. Once for their actually remaining loyal to Hashem and their overcoming the severe tests they were put to, but even more by bringing out and showing Hashem's oneness and omnipotence over all evil and in overcoming and overthrowing the forces of evil with their mesiras nefesh. Through this they are bringing to fruition Hashem's ultimate desire to become known and recognized by all.
However, the evil that was created by the first way of Divine Providence — that is reward and punishment — has no way to be overthrown or nullified other than by doing teshuvoh for one's wrong action. Through teshuvoh usually the punishment will cease (unless it is for one of the more stringent aveiros where some affliction is needed together with the teshuvoh to effect complete forgiveness).
Although the situation of tzaddik vera lo, rosho vetov lo (when the tzaddik suffers and the rosho prospers) does create a certain amount of unclarity as explained beforehand, yet its essence is not to create a stumbling block for emunah in Hashem. Nothing will ever befall a tzaddik that he doesn't deserve because of his few aveiros — and therefore overcoming the test caused by the aveiros will not take away these afflictions and these are situations he caused himself. These are not the results of the forces of evil created and encouraged by Hashem so that they themselves should eventually become the bearers of the Oneness and Omnipotence of Hashem, because they are necessary for the punishment needed for their few aveiros. Their faith in Hashem that these afflictions are for their aveiros, is part of their teshuvoh on their aveiro, as explained in Sha'arei Teshuvoh, Sha'ar Beis and when the punishment is finished, automatically the affliction will go as it came.
End of Part IV
HaRav Dovid Kronglas zt'l, whose yahrtzeit was on 11 Teves, (5733), was the Rosh Mesivta and Menahel Ruchani in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore for twenty- five years.
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