[Avodah] Hashgacha Pratis for goyim

[Michael Makovi]

Responding to R' Mordechai Cohen:

> OTOH, most rishonim held that there isn't HP for Jews either (except for individual tzadikim).
> R Chaim Friedlander z'l in his (controversial ?) sefer on the subject felt
> that this was the view of ALL rishonim.

I won't try to argue with the Rishonim on metaphysical grounds; forget
their Torah knowledge - they know Aristotle a million times better
than I do! (Not that I grant any particular favor to Aristotle's
views.) So even if I disagree with them, I won't try to do so on
dialectical grounds.

Also, I do think that in the confrontation between naturalistic and
inexorable science, and HP, the Rambam provides us the best starting
point, i.e. Hashem working miracles from within the laws of nature.
          Or, to quote the Ran (Drashot 7), as quoted by R' Leo Levi
("Torah `Im Derech Erets in Our Time", Tradition 28:1, Fall 1993): "It
is God's wish and desire to maintain the 'custom' of the world
whenever that is possible; nature is in fact dear to Him, so that He
deviates from it only when necessary. . . . Events do not occur
according to individual causes but general causes, because God does
not wish nature to change according to [the needs of] every
individual."
          Or to quote Ramban (on Deut. 20:9) from R' Leo Levi (ibid.):
"He does not wish to change the nature of the world except when no
other sort of salvation will do...". Or as Hazal say (`AZ 54a), if
someone steals wheat and sows it, it shouldn't grow, but nature is as
it is, etc. But all this concerns nature versus science in general
(where I agree with the rishonim), and has nothing to do with tzadikim
versus beinonim and reshai'm, or Jews versus gentiles (where I might
DIS-agree with the rishonim).

Also, Rambam in the Moreh (I am relying on secondary sources, I will
admit) and Rabbi Berkovits in Essential Essays, both based on the
conclusion to Sefer Iyov, both state that G-d often must allow certain
injustices in order to uphold the greater ovearching needs that He has
in creation. For example, free will demands that the righteous and
wicked not be obviously rewarded and punished. This is in contrast to
the Mutakalimun, who argued like Job's friends. According to Rabbi
Berkovits's formulation, sometimes G-d must act according to His
mishpat ( = derech, i.e. His overarching plan and purpose), and ignore
what is strict justice in the given present case. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
(Faces and Facets) cites a midrash to the effect that a certain poor
man would have to have creation recreated, with his being placed in a
different generation, in order to be saved from his poverty; Rabbi
Kaplan concludes that the wheels of history sometimes demand a few
people suffer undeservedly.

Regarding tzadikim and beinomin/resha'im, and Jews and gentiles, where
I will differ with the rishonim, I will not disagree on dialectical
grounds, as I said. Rather, I will suffice with words we say every
Shabbat, from Psalm 33: Mishamayim hibit Hashem, ra'ah et kol benei
ha'adam. M'machon shivto hishgiah, el kol yoshvei ha'aretz. Ha'yotzer
yahad libam, ha'meivin el kol ma'aseihem. Artscroll: "From Heaven
Hashem looks down, He sees all mankind. From His dwelling place He
oversees all inhabitants of the earth. He fashions their hearts all
together, He comprehends all their deeds."

Note that Psalm 33 explicitly says "kol benei ha'adam"/"kol yoshvei
ha'aretz" and "hishgiah". Apparently, hashgahah is given regardless of
whether one is a Jew or gentile, righteous or not. Of course, perhaps
His *act* of hashgahah will differ, between reward and punishment, or
consigning one to the whims of nature. (As Rav Hirsch interprets "If
you walk haphazardly/indiscriminately towards Me, I will deal
haphazardly/indiscriminately towards you".) Indeed, the continuation
of Psalm 33 says, Hinei `ein Hashem el y'rei'aw, lam'yahalim l'hasdo.
L'hatzil mimawet nafsham, ulehayotam bar`a'av. Artscroll: "Behold, the
eye of Hashem is on those who fear Him, upon those who await His
kindness, to rescue their soul from death, and to sustain them in
famine."

So perhaps G-d only feeds the righteous, whereas He even causes famine
to the wicked, or simply consigns them to the whims of natural law.
(This would bring us back to Rambam et. al., about G-d working within
nature.) But in any case, He certainly pays attention to everyone,
righteous and wicked alike; how He acts is perhaps otherwise.

But even Hinei `ein Hashem el y'rei'aw implies that there is no
distinction between Jew and gentile; to paraphrase Rabbi Meir, it says
not "el y'rei'aw im hem kohanim, lewi'im, yisraelim, elah el
y'rei'aw". This answers what R' Mordechai Cohen said,
> There were those Areivim members that "believed" or that "it's only fair
> that" there s/be be HP for goyim.
> NO proofs. NO sources.
Additionally, Rabbi Hirsch on Shemot 19:6 says that the relationship
between Jews and G-d is not special at all, is only the relationship
all mankind ought to have and will have. If so, then why should Jews
and gentiles be different in HP? Perhaps the righteous and wicked will
have different HP, but "righteous and wicked" is regardless of Jewish
or gentile.

Michael Makovi