[Avodah] Hashgacha Pratis

[Steven J Scher]

> Moshe Y. Gluck:
>> 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?
>>

R' David Riceman:
> It's because what actually happens in the world seems to conflict with
> God's justice -- tzaddik v'ra lo is a tremendous problem.  See Chavel's
> introduction to the Ramban's commentary on Iyov.


Forgive my naivete in this discussion... I"m just trying to understand.

But, does hashgacha pratis only apply to making sure that good things 
happen to the tzaddikim and bad things happen to the reshaim?

If HaShem has individual attention to each of us, couldn't it be that He 
is controling things for what ever grand scheme plans He has -- not 
necessarily for the _individual's_ outcome, but for the overall outcome 
for the olam.

Now, perhaps this conflicts with His beneficience.  Or, at least requires 
us to redefine His beneficience to mean a collective beneficience, rather 
than an individual beneficience.  But, that doesn't seem to me to conflict 
with Jewish belief: The Torah brims over with notions of collective reward 
and collective punishment.

I do think that hashgacha pratis conflicts with our human notions of 
bechira.  But, then, the concept of HaShem Himself is in reality 
incomprehensible to our human minds, so why shouldn't this aspect of His 
Being be beyond our understanding.


- Steve