[Avodah] "Does God Change His Mind?"

[Richard Wolberg]

"Does God change His mind?"

Malachi 3:6 declares, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O sons of  
Yaakov, are not consumed.” The thought is similar to Jer. 30:11: "I  
will correct thee in measure, and will not utterly destroy thee."  
God's nature is unchangeable; He is ever the same, loving good and  
hating evil. Justice must therefore take its course and evil be  
punished; but in His lovingkindness chastisement is tempered with  
mercy God purifies B'nai Yisroel but will not utterly consume them.  
Many commentators consider this verse to be introductory to the posuk  
which follows wherein the navi rebukes the people for 'robbing' God,  
defrauding Him of tithes and other dues, and translates: "As I the  
Lord am not changed, so you have not ceased to be sons of Yaakov,"  
giving to Yaakov its original meaning of 'one who supplants and  
defrauds. (cf. Bereshis 27:36).

There are those who erroneously think this contradicts what is taught  
in other pesukim, such as Bereshis 6:6, “The LORD was grieved that He  
had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain.” Also,  
Yonah 3:10 which says, “When God saw what they did and how they turned  
from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them  
the destruction He had threatened.” Similarly, Shmos 32:14 proclaims,  
“Then the LORD relented and did not bring on His people the disaster  
He had threatened.” These verses speak of the Lord “repenting” of  
something, and seem to be contrary to verses that teach that God is  
unchanging. However, close examination of these passages reveals that  
these are not truly indications that God is capable of changing. In  
Hebrew, the word that is translated as “repent,” or “relent,” is the  
Hebrew expression of “to be sorry for.” Being sorry for something does  
not mean that a change has occurred; it simply means that there is  
regret for something that has taken place.

ri
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