Rambam: On the Three Types of Ra

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Rambam: On the Three Types of Ra

It is difficult to choose which chapters of the Rambam's Guide for the Perplexed (Moreh ha'Nevuchim) are the most important, from an objective standpoint. I can, however, say that this chapter (Section 3 Chapter 12) is one that has had the greatest impact on me, personally, in my day-to-day life. 

I teach this text as part of my Iyov curriculum. Truthfully, this chapter ought to be read within the context of the several chapters that precede and follow it. However, it can be read as a standalone text. I decided to present a full translation of this single chapter here, without commentary, so that I can more easily make reference to it in future blog posts. 

One important note on translation. The term "ra" (רע) in Hebrew is multifaceted, and is therefore difficult to render into a single English equivalent. Depending on the context, "ra" can be translated as the following nouns and adjectives:

• bad / badness
• (morally) evil
• displeasing / detestable
• detriment / detrimental
• harm / harmful
• loss / destruction / non-existence
• corruption / deterioration
• pain / suffering
• deficiency / lack / privation
• unhealthy
• inferior

Each usage must be inferred from its context. For example, when a pasuk describes Haman as "ra," it clearly means "evil," but when Hashem is described as "bringing ra upon Bnei Yisrael," it means "harm" or "loss" or "destruction." In Paroh's dream, the adjective "raos" used to describe the cows means "unhealthy" or "inferior." When Mishlei speaks of "ra" as a consequence, it means "detrimental" or "painful." 

In an attempt to preserve this omni-comprehensive use of the term "ra," I will keep it as a transliteration throughout this excerpt. The word "ra" will be used for the adjective or singular form of the noun, and "raos" will be used for the plural form of the noun. Accordingly, the transliterations "tov" and "tovos" will be used as a stand-in for "good" and "goods," and should be understood as the opposite of "ra" and "raos." 

The translation below is a fusion of the Friedlander, Pines, and Qafih translations, along with some of my own. The paragraph divisions and headings are my own as well. 

Rambam: Moreh ha'Nevuchim 3:12

The Mistaken Assessment of the Ratio of Ra to Tov

Men frequently think that the raos in the world are more numerous than the tovos; many non-Jewish sayings and songs dwell on this idea. They say that tovos are found only exceptionally, whilst raos are numerous and lasting. Not only common people make this mistake, but even many who believe that they are wise. 

Al-Razi wrote a well-known book: On Metaphysics [or Theology]. Among other mad and foolish things, it contains also the idea, discovered by him, that there exists more ra than tov. For if the happiness of man and his pleasure in the times of prosperity be compared with the mishaps that befall him – such as grief, acute pain, defects, paralysis of the limbs, fears, anxieties, and troubles – it would seem as if the existence of man is a punishment and a great ra for him. This author commenced to verify his opinion by counting all the raos one by one; by this means he opposed those who hold the correct view of the tovos bestowed by God and His evident kindness – namely, that God is absolutely Tov, and that all that comes from Him is absolutely tov without a doubt.

The Cause of this Error and its Remedy

The origin of the error is to be found in the circumstance that this ignorant man – and his party among the common people – judge the whole universe by examining one single person. For an ignorant man believes that the whole universe only exists for him, as if nothing else required any consideration. If, therefore, anything happens to him contrary to his expectation, he at once concludes that the whole universe is ra. 

If, however, he would take into consideration the whole universe, form an idea of it, and comprehend what a small portion he is of the universe, he will find the truth. For it is clear that persons who have fallen into this widespread error as regards the multitude of raos in the world, do not find the raos among the angels, the stars and galaxies, the elements, and that which is formed of them, namely, minerals and plants, or in the various species of living beings, but only in some individual instances of mankind. They wonder that a person, who became leprous in consequence of bad food, should be afflicted with so great an illness and suffer such a misfortune; or that he who indulges so much in sensuality as to weaken his sight, should be struck with blindness, and the like. 

The Correct Perspective of Man's Place in the Universe

What we have, in truth, to consider is this: The whole mankind at present in existence, and likewise every other species of animals, form an infinitesimal portion of the permanent universe, as it is stated: “Man is like nothingness” (Tehilim 144:4); “How much less is man, [who is like] a maggot, and a mortal, [who is like a worm?” (Iyov 25:6); “Surely [He finds fault] with those who dwell in houses of clay” (ibid. 4:19); “Behold, all the nations are as a drop from a bucket” (Yishaya 40:15). There are many other passages in the books of the prophets expressing the same idea. 

It is of great advantage that man should know his station, and not erroneously imagine that the whole universe exists only for him. We hold that the universe exists because the Creator wills it so; that mankind is low in rank as compared with the uppermost portion of the universe, namely, with the planets and the stars. But as regards the angels, there cannot be any real comparison between man and angels, although man is the highest of all beings on earth – that is, of all beings formed of the four elements. 

Man's existence is nevertheless a wonderfully tov situation for him, and his distinction and perfection is a divine gift. The numerous raos to which individual persons are exposed are due to the defects existing in the persons themselves. We complain and seek relief from our own faults. We suffer from the raos which we, by our own free will, inflict on ourselves, and we ascribe them to God, Who is far from being connected with them, as it is stated: “Corruption is not His – the blemish is His children’s, a perverse and crooked generation” (Devarim 32:5). This is explained by King Solomon, who says: “A man’s foolishness corrupts his way, but his heart rages against Hashem” (Mishlei 19:3). 

I explain this theory in the following manner. The raos that befall man are of three kinds: 

Type #1: Inherent in Matter

(1) The first kind of ra is that which is caused to man by the circumstance that he is subject to genesis and destruction, or that he possesses a body. It is on account of the body that some persons happen to have great deformities or paralysis of some of the organs. This ra may be part of the natural constitution of these persons, or may have developed subsequently in consequence of changes in the elements, e.g., through bad air, or thunderstorms or landslips. We have already shown that, in accordance with the divine wisdom, genesis can only take place through destruction, and without the destruction of the individual members of the species the species themselves would not exist permanently. Thus the true kindness, and beneficence, and goodness of God is clear. 

He who thinks that he can have flesh and bones without being subject to any external influence, or any of the accidents of matter, unconsciously wishes to reconcile two opposites, namely, to be at the same time subject and not subject to change. If man were never subject to change there could be no generation: there would be one single being, but no individuals forming a species. Galen, in the third section of his book, The Use of the Limbs, says correctly that it would be in vain to expect to see living beings formed of an egg fertilized with sperm, who will not die, will never feel pain, or will move perpetually, or will shine like the sun. This statement of Galen is part of the following more general proposition: Whatever is formed of any matter receives the most perfect form possible in that species of matter; in each individual case the defects are in accordance with the defects of that individual matter. The best and most perfect being that can be formed of the egg and the sperm is the species of man, for as far as man's nature is known, he is living, rational, and mortal. It is therefore impossible that man should be free from this type of ra. 

You will, nevertheless, find that the raos of the above kind which befall man are very few and rare; for you find countries that have not been flooded or burned for thousands of years; there are thousands of men in perfect health; deformed individuals are a strange and exceptional occurrence; or say few in number if you object to the term exceptional; they are not one-hundredth, not even one-thousandth part of those that are perfectly normal. 

Type #2: Interpersonal 

The second class of raos comprises such raos as people cause to each other, when, for example, some of them use their strength against others. These raos are more numerous than those of the first kind, and their causes are numerous and known. They likewise originate in ourselves, though the sufferer himself cannot avert them. 

This kind of ra is nevertheless not widespread in any country of the whole world. It is of rare occurrence that a man plans to kill his neighbor or to rob him of his property by night. Many persons are, however, afflicted with this kind of ra in great wars, but these are not frequent, if the whole inhabited part of the earth is taken into consideration. 

Type #3: Self-Inflicted 

(3) The third class of raos comprises those which every one causes to himself by his own action. This is the largest class, and is far more numerous than the second class. It is especially of these raos that all men complain, only few men are found that do not sin against themselves by this kind of ra. Those that are afflicted with it are therefore justly blamed in the words of the prophet: “This was brought about by your own hand” (Malachi 1:9); the same is expressed in the following passage: “A destroyer of his own soul will do this” (Mishlei 6:32). In reference to this kind of ra, Solomon says: “A man’s foolishness corrupts his way, but his heart rages against Hashem” (Mishlei 19:3). In the following passage he explains also that this kind of ra is man's own work: “But, see, this I did find: God has made man upright, but they have sought out many scheming calculations” (Koheles 7:29), and these scheming calculations bring the raos upon him. The same subject is referred to in Iyov: “For affliction does not emerge from the dust, nor does misery grow from the earth” (Iyov 5:6). These words are immediately followed by the explanation that man himself is the author of this class of raos: “For man is born to trouble” (Iyov 5:7). 

This class of raos originates in man’s flaws, such as excessive desire for eating, drinking, and sex; indulgence in these things in undue measure, or in improper manner, or partaking of unhealthy food. This course brings diseases and afflictions upon body and soul alike. The sufferings of the body in consequence of these raos are well known. 

Those of the soul are twofold: First, such raos of the soul as are the necessary consequence of changes in the body, insofar as the soul is a force residing in the body; it has therefore been said that the properties of the soul depend on the condition of the body. 

Secondly, the soul, when accustomed to superfluous things, acquires a strong habit of desiring things which are neither necessary for the preservation of the individual nor for that of the species. This desire is without a limit, whilst things which are necessary are few in number and restricted within certain limits; but what is superfluous is without end. 

For example, you desire to have your vessels of silver, but golden vessels are still better; others have even vessels of sapphire, or perhaps they can be made of emerald or rubies, or any other substance that could be suggested. Those who are ignorant and perverse in their thought are constantly in trouble and pain because they cannot get as much of superfluous things as a certain other person possesses. They, as a rule, expose themselves to great dangers, for example, by sea voyage, or service of kings, and all this for the purpose of obtaining that which is superfluous and not necessary. 

Blaming God for Self-Inflicted Harm

When they thus meet with the consequences of the course which they adopt, they complain of the decrees and judgments of God; they begin to blame the time, and wonder at the lack of justice in its changes; that it has not enabled them to acquire great riches, with which they could buy large quantities of wine for the purpose of making themselves drunk, and numerous concubines adorned with various kind of ornaments of gold, embroidery, and jewels, for the purpose of driving themselves to sexual indulgence beyond their capacities – as if the whole universe existed exclusively for the purpose of giving pleasure to these low people. 

The error of the ignorant goes so far as to say that God's power is insufficient, because He has given to this universe the properties which they imagine cause these great ra, and which do not help all ra-disposed persons to obtain the ra which they seek, and to bring their ra souls to the aim of their desires, though these, as we have shown, are really without limit. 

The virtuous and wise, however, see and comprehend the wisdom of God displayed in the universe. Thus David says: “All of the ways of Hashem are kindness and truth, to those who guard His covenant and His testimonies” (Tehilim 25:10). For those who observe the nature of the universe and the commandments of the Torah, and know their purpose, see clearly God's kindness and truth in everything; they seek, therefore, that which the Creator intended to be the aim of man, namely, pursuit of knowledge. Forced by the claims of the body, they seek also that which is necessary for the preservation of the body – “bread to eat and garment to clothe” (Bereishis 28:20), and this is very little; but they seek nothing superfluous. With very slight exertion man can obtain it, so long as he is contented with that which is necessary. 

"You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Tehilim 145:16)

All the difficulties and troubles we meet in this respect are due to the desire for superfluous things. When we seek unnecessary things, we have difficulty even in finding that which is necessary. For the more we desire to have that which is superfluous, the more we meet with difficulties; our strength and possessions are spent in unnecessary things, and are lacking when required for that which is necessary. 

Observe how nature proves the correctness of this assertion. The more necessary a thing is for living beings, the more easily it is found and the cheaper it is; the less necessary it is, the rarer and dearer it is. For example, air, water, and food are necessary to man. Air is most necessary, for if man is without air a short time he dies, whilst he can be without water a day or two. Air is also undoubtedly found more easily and cheaper [than water]. Water is more necessary than food, for some people can be four or five days without food, provided they have water; water also exists in every country in larger quantities than food, and is also cheaper. The same proportion can be noticed in the different kinds of food; that which is more necessary in a certain place exists there in larger quantities and is cheaper than that which is less necessary. No intelligent person, I think, considers musk, amber, rubies, and emerald as very necessary for man except as medicines – and they, as well as other like substances, can be replaced for this purpose by herbs and minerals. 

This shows the kindness of God to His creatures, even to us weak beings. His righteousness and justice as regards all animals are well known; for in the transient world there is among the various kinds of animals no individual being distinguished from the rest of the same species by a peculiar property or an additional limb. On the contrary – all physical, psychical, and vital forces and organs that are possessed by one individual are found also in the other individuals. If anyone is somehow different, it is by accident, in consequence of some exception, and not by a natural property; it is also a rare occurrence. There is no difference between individuals of a species in the due course of Nature; the difference originates in the various dispositions of their substances. This is the necessary consequence of the nature of the substance of that species: the nature of the species is not more favorable to one individual than to the other. It is no wrong or injustice that one has many bags of finest myrrh and garments embroidered with gold, while another has not those things, which are not necessary for our maintenance; he who has them has not thereby obtained control over anything that could be an essential addition to his nature, but has only obtained something illusory or deceptive. The other, who does not possess that which is not wanted for his maintenance, does not miss anything indispensable. “Whoever took more had nothing extra and whoever took less was not lacking; everyone according to what he eats had they gathered” (Shemos 26:18). This is the rule at all times and in all places; no notice should be taken of exceptional cases, as we have explained. 

In these two ways you will see the mercy of God toward His creatures, how He has provided that which is required, in proper proportions, and treated all individual beings of the same species with perfect equality. In accordance with this correct reflection the chief of the wise men says: “All His ways are justice” (Devarim 32:4). David likewise says: “All of the ways of Hashem are kindness and truth”; he also says explicitly: “Hashem is good to all; His mercies are on all His works” (Tehilim 145:9), for it is an act of great and perfect goodness that He gave us existence; and the creation of the controlling faculty in animals is a proof of His mercy towards them, as has been shown by us.

Tehilim 92: Mizmor Shir l'Yom ha'Shabbos

Although this can be read as a standalone post, I highly recommend reading my How to Learn Tehilim (Psalms) post first, in order to familiarize yourself with the methodology I'll be using.

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Artwork: Wildest Dreams, by Daniel Ljunggren

Tehilim 92: Mizmor Shir l'Yom ha'Shabbos

Here is the text of Tehilim 92:

Tehilim 92 

(1) A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day. (2) It is good to thank Hashem and to sing to Your Name, O Exalted One; (3) to recount Your kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness in the nights. (4) Upon a ten-stringed instrument and upon lyre, with singing [accompanied] by harp. (5) For You have gladdened me, Hashem, with Your actions; about Your handiwork I will sing joyously. (6) How great are Your works, Hashem; [how] very deep are Your thoughts - (7) a boorish man doesn’t know, and a fool doesn’t understand this - (8) when the wicked bloom like grass, and all the doers of iniquity blossom, it is to destroy them forever and ever. (9) But You [remain] exalted forever, Hashem. (10) For behold Your enemies, Hashem, for behold – Your enemies shall perish; dispersed shall be all doers of iniquity. (11) You raised like a re’eim my pride; I was saturated with fresh oil. (12) My eyes have seen my foes; when those who would harm me rise up my ears have heard. (13) A righteous person will flourish like a date palm, and like a cedar in the Lebanon he will grow tall. (14) Planted in the house of Hashem, in the courtyards of our God they will flourish. (15) They will still be fruitful in old age, vigorous and fresh they will be, (16) to tell that Hashem is upright, my Rock in Whom there is no injustice.

Let's review our basic method. The four questions we're going to try to answer are:

(1) What is this perek about as a whole? What is the main idea? What major insight is this teaching us about Hashem and His relationship to His world - or how He relates to man, in particular?

(2) What is being said in detail, and how? How does each pasuk - or each word and phrase - contribute to the main idea?

(3) Is this perek true, in whole or in part? Remember: it's not enough to know what David ha'Melech thought, nor is it enough to accept the truth of Tehilim based on the authority of Torah she'bi'Chsav (even though we have no choice but to start with this). We must strive to verify the contents of this perek to the satisfaction of our own minds. 

(4) What of it? What "inspiration via knowledge" is this perek written to bring about? How is the main idea in this perek supposed to affect your life, your view of reality, and your relationship with God? What else follows - what is further implied or suggested by the insights? What else can you do to internalize and be moved by these ideas? 

The only question we will not attempt to fully answer is Question #2, since I specifically want to avoid getting too bogged down in details, as I wrote about in my methodology article.

Question #1: What is this perek about as a whole?

According to our methodology, the first step is to find "the pivot point." In this case, the pivot point is obviously verse 7: "a boorish man doesn’t know, and a fool doesn’t understand this." This is a unique type of pivot point in that it can be read with either half of the perek. [1] If read with the first half, it will look like this:

A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day. It is good to thank Hashem and to sing to Your Name, O Exalted One; to recount Your kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness in the nights. Upon a ten-stringed instrument and upon lyre, with singing [accompanied] by harp. For You have gladdened me, Hashem, with Your actions; about Your handiwork I will sing joyously. How great are Your works, Hashem; [how] very deep are Your thoughts! A boorish man doesn’t know [how great Your works are], and a fool doesn’t understand [how very deep are Your thoughts].

If read in accordance with the second half, it will look like this:

A boorish man doesn’t know, and a fool doesn’t understand [the following phenomenon]: when the wicked bloom like grass, and all the doers of iniquity blossom, it is to destroy them forever and ever. But You [remain] exalted forever, Hashem. For behold Your enemies, Hashem, for behold – Your enemies shall perish; dispersed shall be all doers of iniquity. You raised like a re’eim my pride; I was saturated with fresh oil. My eyes have seen my foes; when those who would harm me rise up my ears have heard. A righteous person will flourish like a date palm, and like a cedar in the Lebanon he will grow tall. Planted in the house of Hashem, in the courtyards of our God they will flourish. They will still be fruitful in old age, vigorous and fresh they will be, to tell that Hashem is upright, my Rock in Whom there is no injustice.

Now that we've discovered the pivot point, the four sub-questions we must answer under the heading of Question #1 are: (a) What is the main idea of the first half? (b) What is the main idea of the second half? (c) What is the unified idea (i.e. the main idea of the perek)? (d) What is the purpose or function of the pivot point? 

In this case, I believe we can answer all four sub-questions in one shot. Here is my summary of the main idea in four sentences:

The purpose of this perek is to answer the question of how the wicked are able to flourish in a world governed by Divine justice.[2] David ha'Melech's answer is that the only person who will be bothered by this question is the foolish, boorish man who doesn't comprehend the perfection, harmony, and depth of God's wisdom in nature. To the extent that a person recognizes how all natural systems operate in accordance with perfect justice - with every component perfectly suited to achieve its end, and each species receiving exactly what it needs for the continuity of the system as a whole - he or she will also recognize that there must be a similarly perfect system which governs human beings; just as there will inevitably be destructive consequences for interfering in a natural system, so too, there will be destructive consequences for those who deviate from the Creator's laws which govern human interactions. True, the wicked may flourish, but their success is short lived, like lowly grasses that quickly wither and die, whereas the righteous flourish like date palms and cedars - tall, long-lasting, and bearing fruit into their old age. 

This answers all of the sub-questions under Question #1: (a) the main idea of the first half is that nature is absolutely perfect and reflects the profound wisdom of the Creator in its lawful design; (b) the main idea of the second half is that the flourishing of the wicked is only temporary and is destined to end in destruction, whereas the flourishing of the righteous is the opposite; (c) the unity in the perek is that the human realm is merely a special case of the general character of the universe as a whole, and operates in accordance with the same principles, the same perfection, and the same justice; (d) the function of the pivot is to bring us to the realization that the key to seeing the justice in the human sphere is to recognize the justice in the natural world, and that to the extent that one recognition is lacking, so will the other. 

Question #2: What is being said in detail, and how?

As I said, I'm not going to go into this part in depth. I'll just write a few brief comments on each pasuk or two in order to give you an idea of how deep and how not deep I like to go when answering Question #2:

(1) Shabbos embodies the main idea of this perek since it is a day devoted to both objectives: recognizing God's wisdom in nature (zeicher l'Maaseh Bereishis - remembering the Act of Creation) and His justice in the human realm (zeicher l'Yetzias Mitzrayim - remembering the Exodus from Egypt). Moreover, Shabbos affords us the opportunity to re-calibrate ourselves to the Maaseh Bereishis framework, since the issur melachah (prohibition of creative work on Shabbos) forces us to withdraw our energies from striving to dominate the material world and to invest that energy in the contemplation of Hashem's reign over the natural world.

(2) Hodaah (giving thanks) and zemirah (singing praise) are two vehicles of achieving the recognition that is central in this perek; David refers to Hashem as "the Exalted One" to emphasize His transcendent supervision of the physical universe.

(3) "your chesed (kindness)" refers to the totality of the Creator's beneficence in nature, as it is stated: "the world was built with chesed" (Tehilim 89:3), and "your  emunah (faithfulness)" refers to the reliability of Hashem's hashgachah klalis (laws of nature); David describes himself as engaging in this praise "morning" and "night" to emphasize the infinite depth and breadth of Hashem's chesed and emunah in the universe, saying that in order to express his recognition, he would have to be involved in praise all day and all night.

(4) Who knows what the significance of the "ten-string instrument," "lyre," and "harp" are? Who even knows what these instruments were? As far as I'm concerned, trying to explain these details would be pure speculation, and the answer isn't going to have any bearing on the main idea anyway. 

(5) David is pointing out yet another benefit of contemplating Hashem's works: not only does this answer the question of how the wicked can flourish, but it is also an enjoyable activity in and of itself!

(6) and (7) we explained in our summary of the main idea.

(8) "it is to destroy them forever and ever" implies that there are two types of destruction that the wicked will suffer: the natural consequences of their lifestyle in Olam ha'Zeh, and the consequences to their soul in Olam ha'Ba.

(9) see my comments on (2).

(11) and (12) contain David's testimony about how he has seen the truth of this perek play out in his own lifetime; in addition to encouraging the reader to check out this claim by examining the events of David's life, this also provides an important piece of advice, namely, that a person should look for evidence of this in his own observations of the wicked and the righteous.

(13) In addition to the general idea that the righteous will succeed, I believe that the "flourishing plants" metaphor also suggests that the righteous person's success goes hand in hand with his development as a tzelem Elokim; plants are a perfect mashal for this, since we associate plants with natural growth and development. 

(14) It is unclear to me whether "house of Hashem" and "courtyards of Hashem" are references to the Beis ha'Mikdash (the Sanctuary) - and, by extension, Batei Kenesiyos (synagogues) and Batei Midrashos (study halls) - or whether they are a reference to the universe as a whole. [3] Either way, the idea is that by aligning oneself with the lawfulness which governs the human realm and seeking to comprehend the lawfulness in nature, a person will, in effect, be "planted" (i.e. permanently established in a manner which provides sustenance and continued growth) as a component part of the system of the universe - in contrast to the wicked, who seek to detach themselves from the system in a futile attempt to dominate it. 

(15) The lifestyle of the righteous as portrayed here will result in a prolonged and enhanced old age, in which the person's tzelem Elokim and righteous actions will continue to bear fruit - as I wrote about in my article On Aging: With (and Without) Torah.

(16) In a very "ecosystem-esque" manner, the righteous who live in this manner will, through their words and their actions, pass on their worldview to the next generation of mankind, thereby moving others to recognize the benefits of praising the Creator.

This is a good example of the level at which I like to answer Question #2. My goal is to be able to read the perek and see how most of the words and phrases contribute to or reflect the main idea. I'm not trying to get everything.

Question #3: Is this perek true, in whole or in part?

Personally, this perek didn't raise any questions of veracity to me. However, if I taught this in school, I would have to be prepared to demonstrate the truth of the following three claims:

1. that nature exhibits profound wisdom and perfection
2. that the success of the wicked is only temporary, and is destined to end in destruction
3. that tzadikim will flourish and enjoy a long life 

Originally I was going to write out how I would go about doing that, but I think this would take us beyond the scale of this blog post. Suffice it to say: watch nature documentaries for #1, and learn Mishlei, for #2 and #3.

Question #4: What of it?

What function does this serve in our avodas Hashem? I think the answer is clear from the perek: whenever we see the wicked flourishing and we feel troubled, we need look no further than the natural world around us. The more we recognize the absolute justice and benevolent functionality of nature, the more we can rest assured that the wicked will get what they deserve, no matter how successful they appear at the present. 

Similarly, if we are in doubt as to whether following the laws of the Torah will result in the best life for ourselves and for society as a whole, all we have to do is contemplate any ecosystem in nature. Each organism is cared for by Hashem's hashgachah klalis, and everything exists in peace and harmony. The same is within the reach of human beings, if only we align ourselves with the will of our Creator.

Concluding Thoughts

I hope this walk-through of Tehilim 92 has been beneficial in its own right, and in familiarizing you with our method of learning Tehilim. I plan on writing a post on Tehilim 23 in the near future, and possibly more later on in the summer. I'd love to hear your feedback! 

[1] Rabbeinu David Kimchi (Radak), Commentary on Sefer Tehilim 92:7

[2] Note that this is specifically an answer to the question of why the wicked flourish, in a general sense, but this is NOT an answer to the specific problem of tzadik v'ra lo (how can bad things happen to a righteous person) which is addressed in Sefer Iyov.

[3] see, for example the Rambam's explanation of Hashem's praise of Moshe as "the most trustworthy in My house" (Bamidbar 12:7) in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim 1:54.

Malbim: On Hashgachas Hashem and Human Responsibility (2 of 2)

If you haven't read Malbim: On Hashgachas Hashem and Human Responsibility (Part 1), you are advised to do so before proceeding. It would also be prudent to review the pesukim on which the Malbim will be commenting, as well as the disclaimer, which applies here as well.

Artwork: Eyes in the Skies, by James Rhyman

Having established a framework for understanding reward and punishment and their relationship to individual and societal suffering, the Malbim goes on to explain how this principle sheds light* on the question of "rasha v'tov lo" (i.e. a wicked person who prospers). The Malbim writes:

On the basis of this argument, the question that Iyov asked in chapter 24 is completely upended. [Iyov asked:] “Aren’t there are wicked men who destroy civil society, such as pirates on the seas and robbers in deserts who kill wantonly and destroy the world? Why doesn’t God destroy them and remove their evil from the world?” The answer to this question is now clear:  

(9) “People will unite in the face of oppression.” Isn't it clear that Hashem arranged for the correction of this problem within the nature of man himself? Hashem providentially supplied all living creatures with the tools and faculties necessary to protect themselves from their enemies, in order to maintain their species and individuals. This providence certainly extended to man, the choicest of creations. [Hashem did this] by creating man to be a social animal. He implanted in man's nature the ability to form societies, to institute righteous laws and rules, and to enforce lawfulness and justice all who violate the statutes and rules [of the society], thereby eradicating all evildoers from the land. 

Thus, if the majority of people are good and love justice and righteousness, it will be impossible for robbers and murderers to multiply and destroy civil society. The good people of the nation, who constitute the majority, would immediately rise up to destroy these predators and banish them from the earth. It would not be necessary for God Himself to descend from on high to do battle with these destroyers, since – in bringing them to justice – all righteous human beings are the agents by which He enacts justice. The people of society will gather together as one, with their judges at their head, to destroy and banish the evildoers. 

This is the meaning of the statement: “People will unite in the face of oppression.” Isn't it clear that Hashem implanted within man’s nature the ability to unite as a society and “cry out to be rescued from the oppressors’ strong hand”? The people of the land, who will outnumber those who oppress and murder, can assemble and cry out for deliverance from these oppressors, who will be the minority among the population at large, and destroy them. 

It is in this sense that Hashem providentially arranged for man to protect himself against oppressors and predators by enabling society at large to annihilate these destroyers. 

Artwork: Fable of Wolf and Owl, by Heather Hudson.

According to the Malbim, the next few pesukim show that although this hashgachah extends to all species, though it is specialized in the case of man.

(10) [God actually grants these protective measures to all His creatures.] Even to the bird, “He grants nightly song.” These are weak birds whose nature, as implanted by Hashem, is to sing at night. Because of their fear of nocturnal predators, they sing at night to alert each other to gather together and fight for their lives if a predator comes among them. They sing in order to warn one another about the threats that the night brings. In this way, they can protect themselves and preserve their species, such that “No [bird] inquires, 'Where is God, my Maker?'” In other words, [it would be false to say that such a bird] isn't under the providence of Hashem, its maker, since as He created it weak and vulnerable to be preyed upon by the stronger predators. In truth, Hashem’s providence did extend to this bird, insofar as He created it in a manner whereby it can be protected from those who seek to harm it. And if Hashem, in His providence, arranged such protection in the nature of lowly creatures – by granting them the ability to call out and be saved from oppression by taking a stand against their oppressors, and to do battle with the predatory animals – then He certainly providentially arranged [protection] for man in this manner. 

(11) Therefore, “Let us learn from the beasts of the field.” Since God conferred on mankind greater wisdom than that which was given to beasts and birds, how can man say, “Where is God, my Maker? God does not watch over me and protect me from predators and oppressors”? On the contrary, Hashem has most certainly extended His Divine Providence to the human species in an even more elevated fashion. Human beings can increase their wisdom by studying the nature of all living things, integrating the lessons learned from all of them into their own intelligence. This is what was meant by the statement: “Let us learn from the beasts of the field” – man should learn from their behavior patterns what he must do to preserve his own numbers and protect his own species. Therefore, mankind should gather together and stand united to defend their lives against the robbers and murderers who are out to destroy them. And when a predator comes among them, they, too, should “sing out in the night.” 

Artwork: Rise of Eagles, by Noah Bradley

Our excerpt from the Malbim concludes with an answer* to the question, "Why does Hashem allow evildoers to prosper? Why doesn't He destroy them?" 

(12) On the basis of this principle, you will find an answer to your question, namely, that “there people will cry out and [God] will not answer them.” Iyov made this statement in chapter 24: “The groans of the people rise up from the city, and the spirits of the slain cry out for deliverance – yet God finds no fault with the wicked!” (Iyov 24:12). Murderous assassins wreak havoc in the city and cause the deaths of so many people – whose spirits then cry out to God, as it says right there, “The spirits of the slain cry out for deliverance” – that they cry out to God for salvation. So why doesn't God answer them and hold guilty those who are responsible? 

The answer is: “because the wicked have grown so in strength” – because the wicked have overwhelmed the righteous with their intensity and strength. This is a sign that the majority of society is wicked and doesn't strive to execute judgment and banish those who do evil. Otherwise, the wicked would not have been allowed to become powerful enough to attack the city and kill the people there, and then those who were being oppressed would attempt to escape the strong hand [of the wicked] by crying out for deliverance. The greater majority [of the society] would have gathered together in great numbers to hasten to the rescue of those who were being oppressed and banish the evildoers. Therefore, this matter [of insuring the protection of the weak against the strong] is a responsibility incumbent upon society itself – not upon Hashem. 

(13) Consequently, “it is false” and vain for you to interpret these events to mean “that [God] does not hear” the cries of the oppressed “and that the Almighty does not see them” that He doesn't providentially supervise them and that He doesn't see the evil of the oppressors. [Such an interpretation] is false and deceitful, for Hashem hears and sees everything that happens on earth. 

(14) “Even though you say that you cannot perceive [Divine Providence]” – even though you say that you cannot perceive or see with your own eyes how Hashem providentially arranges for justice on behalf of the oppressed – the truth is that “there is judgment before Him.” God has indeed established a mechanism for justice to be executed in this world, and “you were created to implement it.” You [mankind] were created to be the agents of Divine Providence and to carry out these judgments when it comes to the robbing of the poor and the murder of the indigent. This means that upon your creation, the potential for eradicating evil from the land and providing justice for the oppressed was implanted in your nature. This enables you to battle and overcome those who breach laws and oppose peace. 

In summation: It is our responsibility - not Hashem's - to form righteous societies and to defend the weak against the evildoers who threaten them. Hashem endowed man with the intelligence to understand justice and the innate drive to create societies with laws to enforce it. Moreover, He gave us His Torah, which contains everything we need to accomplish this task. The question we must ask ourselves is: What is stopping us? 

* DISCLAIMER: You are about to read an excerpt from the Malbim's commentary on Sefer Iyov about the nature of reward and punishment. Sefer Iyov is 42 chapters long, and this excerpt represents only a fraction of the total picture. Thus, what you are about to read should NOT be taken as the "be-all and end-all" on the topics of reward and punishment, hashgachah pratis, and God's justice. There are many aspects of these topics which the Malbim does not address, and many questions which cannot be answered on the basis of these concepts alone. While it might be tempting to attempt to build an entire worldview based on the ideas set forth here, such an endeavor would be flawed from its inception. Think responsibly.

Malbim: On Hashgachas Hashem and Human Responsibility (1 of 2)

This year I learned and taught Sefer Iyov (the Book of Job) for the first time. I immediately became hooked on the Malbim's commentary, and relied heavily upon it to guide my learning (though I switched to the Rambam for the conclusion of the sefer). The Malbim, takes every word seriously, as is his style. He expresses his ideas clearly and explicitly, leaving no room for ambiguity. 

Although I found many insights in the words of the Malbim, one portion of his commentary stood out to my mind so fundamental and so eye-opening that I knew I had to share it . But I was apprehensive. Sefer Iyov is "longer in measure than the earth and wider than the sea" (Iyov 11:9). It should be learned in the manner of embarking on a journey - not as one browses postcards in a gift shop. I worried that by presenting this excerpt of the Malbim's commentary without the foundation and context of the rest of Sefer Iyov, one might be led to false conclusions. 

In the end, I decided that it was worth sharing, in spite of this risk. Think of this as a catalyst for further inquiry, not as a comprehensive treatment of the topic. To be safe, I decided to begin with this disclaimer:

DISCLAIMER:

You are about to read an excerpt from the Malbim's commentary on Sefer Iyov about the nature of reward and punishment. Sefer Iyov is 42 chapters long, and this excerpt represents only a fraction of the total picture. Thus, what you are about to read should NOT be taken as the "be-all and end-all" on the topics of reward and punishment, hashgachah pratis, and God's justice. There are many aspects of these topics which the Malbim does not address, and many questions which cannot be answered on the basis of these concepts alone. While it might be tempting to attempt to build an entire worldview based on the ideas set forth here, such an endeavor would be flawed from its inception. Think responsibly. 

I hope that message was loud enough and clear enough. Without further ado, let us proceed with the Malbim. Due to the length of the excerpt, I've decided to split it into several parts. 

We'll begin with the pesukim which the Malbim will be explaining. Part 1 will only cover his commentary on the first pasuk. 

Iyov 35:8-14: (8) Your wickedness injures only someone like yourself, and your righteousness is helpful only to another human being. (9) People will unite in the face of oppression, and they will cry out to be rescued from the oppressor's strong hand. (10) No [bird] inquires, “Where is God, my Maker?” who grants them nightly song [for their protection]. (11) Let us learn from the beasts of the field and gain wisdom from the birds of heaven. (12) There people will cry out, and [God] will not answer them because the wicked have grown so in strength. (13) But it is false to claim that [God] does not hear and that the Almighty does not see them. (14) Even though you say that you cannot perceive [Divine Providence], there is judgment before Him and you were created to implement it.

From here on out is the commentary of the Malbim, which speaks for itself. The paragraph divisions and emphasis in bold are my own: 

Malbim on Iyov 35:8: Your wickedness injures only someone like yourself. The wickedness that you commit that harms others only injures another human being like yourself [but does not affect God at all]. Similarly, the evil that man does to himself is damaging only to him. In the same vein, your righteousness is helpful only to another human being. That being said, how can you seek out [extrinsic] reward from Hashem for this, or [request] that He intervene in the particulars mete out punishment to the rasha? [To demand this would be] to suggest that [man’s actions] benefit Him or harm Him. 

This may be compared to the following: an ill patient doesn't seek out a reward from his physician [in payment] for obeying his instructions to safeguard his health, nor does the physician punish the patient if he fails to heed his warnings, for the reward and punishment are consequent upon the action itself. If he obeys [the physician’s instructions], he will be healed from his sickness, and that is his reward. If he doesn't obey, he will die, and that is his punishment. [This reward and punishment are not meted out] by the physician, but by [the patient] himself.  

Similarly, the reward [for good actions] is the good path itself, since he acquires perfection of his soul [by following it]; and if he does good for others, he will enjoy benefits from the society [in which he lives]. Conversely, “one who does evil corrupts his soul and his flesh” (Mishlei 11:17), and if he does evil to others, he will suffer from the wickedness of the society.  

The reason for this is because Hashem created man to be social, by nature, and [He intended] that the people of a society should help each other to attain their needs, and that they should have societal regulations and righteous laws to protect the community from all evil. If all people in the community join together to do goodness and kindness to their fellows, and take care not to harm each other in any way, and to diligently execute justice to all who violate these regulations – then everyone will live in peace and prosperity and no societal harm will befall any individual. The same is true for the species as a whole: if it is founded on righteous statutes and laws, then all of its individual members will be protected from every evil and harm, and its members would help each other [to attain their needs].  

But if all of them behave like wolves and agree to [follow] wicked laws [which enable] oppression and violence, then each [member of the society] will [consequently] be subject to wickedness. They will not be safe from the robber and the violent oppressor for even a moment. “Their lives will hang in the balance” (cf. Devarim 28:66) from the threat of their enemies, the perversion of justice, and the threat of murder. They will be like the fish of the sea, where each individual is swallowed alive by its neighbor.  

Hashem arranged the creation of man in such a way that reward and punishment are embedded in nature, both with regard to the individual and with regard to the preservation of the society. With regard to the individual: if a person follows the path to [true] happiness with proper ethical conduct and control of his lusts, and the like, then he will naturally enjoy a happy physical existence. And [if he lives in the] opposite manner, he will naturally suffer harm: “for the guzzler and the gorger will be poor, and slumber will clothe you in rags” (Mishlei 23:21), and “the lust of the lazy person will kill him” (ibid. 21:25); “for anger will annihilate the fool” (Iyov 5:2) and “envy causes bones to rot” (Mishlei 14:30), and “sharp wounds purge evil” (ibid. 20:30). And if an individual indulges in pleasure to excess, he will become seriously ill, “for the harlot will kill many a strong man” (cf. Mishlei 7:26). The same is true of one who sins against his society – the members of his society will come to exact justice, and the zealous will be the first to strike him. And the opposite with the opposite (i.e. the person who treats the members of his society well will receive reciprocal kindness from them).

I hope, after reading just one part of the Malbim's commentary here, that you can see what I mean about being "fundamental" and "eye-opening." Stay tuned for the continuation of this post, which I will try to post on the 17th of Tammuz.