[Avodah] hasgacha pratit

[Eli Turkel]

<<Why is it so difficult for so many to believe in the concept of Hashgachah
Pratis (without getting into if it is correct according to the Mesorah or
not)? Is it because of conflicts with Bechirah?>>

Mainly because it goes against common sense and modern science.
We know from physics that objects fall due to gravity. According to
the Baal Shem Tov
no leaf falls or any action occurs without G-d decreeing it.
Seems somewhat silly for G-d to decree what we know will happen anyway.

For humans it conflicts with the old idea of good and evil. I find it
hard to believe that
the truly evil people who live to 100 have a some virtue that the
kollel boy who dies at 20 has.
Furthermore, it is obvious that eating well, exercise and other
healthy habits causes a person
to live longer while shemirat mitzvot has no such obvious effect.

Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim is bothered by all of this as is Ramban and others.
The "easiest" answer is that schar mitzvah is for the next world and
this world we are governed
by laws of nature with a few exceptions such as tzaddikim and G-d's
miracles in special cases.

The idea that people perished in the Holocaust because because of
their sins seems absurb.
In worse is to claim that the great rishonim died in the crusades
because of their sins or the
various great rabbis that died through gezerot Tach ve-Tat (Chemilnikzi).

kol tuv

-- 
Eli Turkel