[Avodah] proofs of G-d

[Daniel Eidensohn]

R' Eli Turkel wrote:
> <<Bottom line: I think Judaism, Torah, and religion in general would
> be better off admitting that we really do not understand how God works
> rather than parading around our speculations about God and claiming
> them as Dogma.  There is a certain hubris from people that claim God
> wants THIS or God wants THAT. How do they know? Did they receive a
> prophecy?  I can quote Torah or Nevi'im and say that God has expressed
> Himself in a givne verse as demanding X but I cannot say for sure that
> given thecomplexity of a particular situation that God wants any
> specific action. >>
>
> This is in essence the approach of RYBS . He was a philosopher and so
> had the same problems. However, living in Israel,
> ROY, R. Schach etc all know the reasons for every tragedy and
> publically present a very simplistic picture.
>
>   
You are creating an false dichotomy between those who claim to know the 
reason for a calamity and those who don't make such claims or have 
doubts about their assertions. There is in fact a religious obligation 
to attribute suffering to specific shortcomings - as noted in the 
sources below.  In other words it is a recognized technique for teshuva 
to make causal links between suffering and sin. The question is whether 
the link is correct and the degree that people feel confident that they 
have identified the causal relationship. In addition how much 
uncertainty should a leader admit for the technique to work. RYBS was 
inherently a conflicted individual so it was no chidush for him to admit 
so. On the other hand such public honesty doesn't make for strong 
leadership. Such public doubt just doesn't work for other communities. 
An additional problem is with modern communications. A attribution that 
makes sense in one community will be ridiculed in another. For example 
those who claim calamity results because women wear sheitel or have 
internet connection etc.

*Kuzari**[i]* <#_edn1>*(5:20): … *The Prime Will is manifest when the 
Divine Presence is amongst the Jews. However after the destruction of 
the Temple it became doubtful—except in the hearts of those who have 
faith—whether specific events were the result of the direct command of 
G‑d or the Heavenly spheres or were accidents. There is no definitive 
way to resolve this issue. Nonetheless it is best to attribute 
everything that happens to G‑d, especially major things such as death, 
victory, war, success and bad fortune.

*Chovas HaLevavos**[i]* <#_edn1>*(3:8): *I have found in books 
information about Divine compulsion, decree, rulership, and will. They 
state that everything is controlled by G‑d from mineral, plant and 
animal to human beings. Tehilim (135:6): G‑d does whatever He wants to 
do in Heaven and earth…. There are many similar verses that teach this 
idea that man and other creatures were prepared merely to adorn the 
world. That they move only with His permission, with His power, and with 
His ability. … Our sages had intense debates about how to reconcile 
Divine compulsion and Divine justice… Some held man has total free will 
and that is why man receives reward and punishment. Others held the 
opposite that everything is determined by G‑d… When this latter group is 
asked about reward and punishment they respond that it is a mystery but 
G‑d is just in whatever He does… There is a third group which believes 
in both Divine compulsion and Divine justice. But they add that whoever 
delves into the matter cannot avoid sin and trouble no matter how he 
attempts to explain the matter. They claim that the best approach is to 
have full faith that man has full free will and will be rewarded and 
punished for his deeds… but at the same time to have the full trust in 
G‑d as one who believes that everything is fully determined by G‑d. 
Furthermore to believe that G‑d can make claims against man but man can 
not demand anything of G‑d. This position is closer to resolving the 
problem than the others. That is because our ignorance of G‑d’s wisdom 
is well known because of the weakness of our minds and the limited 
awareness. But in fact our ignorance is the means by which G‑d shows His 
kindness to us and that is why it is hidden from us. Because if there 
was any benefit in revealing this secret then G‑d would have revealed it 
to us.

* **Menoras HaMeor**[i]* <#_edn1>*(#298):* When a person has a calamity 
happen to him he should not think that it was just by chance. Because 
whoever mistakenly believes that is punished measure for measure and is 
deserted to chance without any protection… This is a very great 
punishment because there are many opportunities for accidents to happen 
and if one is deserted by Heaven he has no protection at all… This verse 
that says that evil doesn’t descend from Heaven is because a sinner 
doesn’t need to be harmed from Heaven it is sufficient that his 
protection is removed and then he vulnerable to accidents and suffering 
since there is no suffering without sin… Therefore a person must believe 
with solid faith that G‑d knows the secret matters and He is the true 
judge and judges the entire world …

*Rabbeinu Bachye**[i]* <#_edn1>*(Vayikra 26:21): /If you act with Me as 
if the world is random. /*The Torah attitude is that when a person 
achieves success and things work out properly—he should attribute this 
to G‑d’s kindness and not to his merit and good deeds. This attitude is 
stated in Devarim (9:5): /And not because of your righteousness and the 
uprightness of your heart. /In contrast when misfortune and tragedy 
happens to him, he must confess his sins to G‑d and attribute it 
entirely to his sins and not to chance or bad luck. If he insists on 
attributing his suffering to coincidence than G‑d will add to his “bad 
luck.” This is the meaning of this verse where it says “Also I will 
behave to you in a random way.” This threat is repeated in stronger form 
in Vayikra (26:28) where it is an expression of anger. In other words in 
this latter verse G‑d says He will pour upon you “bad luck” out of His 
anger with you.

*
*

*Rabbeinu Bachye[i] <#_edn1>(Kad HaKemach Bitachon):*An aspect of 
bitachon in G‑d is that even when a person has wealth, possessions, 
peace of mind and honor—he should not assume that this is the reward for 
his good deeds. Even if he is a complete tzadik it is better to even 
consider himself wicked and ascribe all the good entirely to the 
kindness of G‑d. On the other hand if he suffers calamities or is 
attacked by bandits he should not view it as simply bad luck…. Such a 
response is the path of heresy. Rather he should ascribe the suffering 
to his many sins. In fact if he insists that his suffering is merely bad 
luck, G‑d will give him addition “bad luck”…

*Rambam**[i]* <#_edn1>*(Letter on Astrology): … *In summary, the 
philosophers claim that everything that happens to everything—whether it 
is man, animal, tree or mineral—is all due to chance. They also agree 
that the source of existence comes from G‑d by means of the spheres. The 
controversy between the philosophers and Judaism is that we assert that 
what happens to a person is not chance but rather it is the result of 
G‑d’s judgment… The Torah warned and gave testimony that if you don’t 
obey G‑d He will punish you. (Vayikra 26:14). Therefore if you assert 
that this suffering is not punishment for sin but is merely chance you 
will suffer from additional calamities from this “chance.” This is 
stated clearly in Vayikra (26:27–28): If you walk with Me with chance 
then I will walk with you in the wrath of chance. This is the root of 
our religion which is the Torah of Moshe—that all events that happen in 
the world and all suffering that happens to a person is a just decree 
from G‑d. Thus our sages said that there is no death without sin and no 
suffering without transgression (Shabbos 55a).

*Rambam**[i]* <#_edn1>*(Hilchos Taanis 1:1–3): *It is a Torah mitzva to 
pray and to sound trumpets for every calamity that comes on the 
community. This is part of repentance so that all will know that the 
suffering is because of their sins and that the prayer is to remove the 
suffering. But if a person does not respond to calamity by prayer and 
sounding the trumpets but simply says that it was a natural event—that 
is being hard hearted. Such an attitude causes him to cling to his evil 
deeds and to receive additional suffering. That is why the Torah 
(Vayikra 26) says that if you relate to me incidentally I will treat you 
with chance. In other words “When I bring calamity on you in order for 
you to repent—if you say it is accidental I will add to you more 
‘accidents’ .”

*Meiri**[i]* <#_edn1>*(Berachos 5a): *It is proper for a person not to 
question G‑d’s conduct. When a person experiences suffering or 
calamities whether financial or physical—he should examine his own 
deeds. If he is unable to discover anything which would justify this 
suffering he should ascribe the suffering to neglecting Torah study. It 
is important to know and understand that there is no such thing as 
suffering without any sin to justify it. Our sages knew that there is no 
smoke without fire. Suffering from love is discussed in my book about 
teshuva.

*Berachos(5a):[*[Raba (some say, R. Hisda) says: If a man sees that 
painful sufferings visit him, let him examine his conduct. For it is 
said: Let us search and try our ways, and return unto the Lord.21 If he 
examines and finds nothing [objectionable], let him attribute it to the 
neglect of the study of the Torah. For it is said: Happy is the man whom 
Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy law.22 If he did 
attribute it [thus], and still did not find [this to be the cause], let 
him be sure that these are chastenings of love. For it is said: For whom 
the Lord loveth He correcteth.23

*Rashi(Berachos 5a):* *If a person seaches and yet can not find a sin* - 
which deserves such suffering he should attribute the suffering to 
wasting time from Torah study.

Daniel Eidensohn



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