[Avodah] Where does Hashgakha Pratit express itself

[Micha Berger]

On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 07:47:12PM +0200, Ben Waxman wrote:
: In the Guide, Part 3 Chapter 18, when discussing the various ideas of
: Hashgakha Pratit, the Rambam uses example after example of being saved
: from something bad - drowning in a ship caught in a storm, being saved
: from a fire, etc. He never talks about something good - finding money,
: having a child, etc. Can I conclude from this that HP only works in saving
: people from the bad or am I reading too much into the examples used?

I don't think you meant to type 18, as you're describing 17.

But I think the Rambam clearly says he means HP is in every event
involving people -- with the caveat that in ch 18 he narrows what the
term "people" means. E.g.
    In the lower or sublunary portion of the Universe Divine Providence
    does not extend to the individual members of species except in the
    case of mankind. It is only in this species that the incidents in the
    existence of the individual beings, their good and evil fortunes,
    are the result of justice, in accordance with the words, "For all
    His ways are judgment."

But the various theories of HP in ch 17 is about which events are
included in terms of who is impacted; in particular: ruling out
HP for non-humans, HP as a denial of free will, etc...

Chapter 18 might be more on target. There also the Rambam writes
outright that HP (for those who get it) goes beyond saving people from
tight spots (emphasis added):
    Consider how the action of Divine Providence is described in
    reference TO EVERY INCIDENT IN THE LIVES of the patriarchs, to their
    occupations, and even to their passions, and how God promised to
    direct His attention to them. Thus God said to Abraham, "I am thy
    shield" (Gen. xv. 1); to Isaac, .... It is clear that in all these
    cases the action of Providence has been proportional to man's
    perfection. The following verse describes how Providence protects
    good and pious men, and abandons fools; "He Will keep the feet of
    his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by
    strength shall no man prevail" (1 Sam. ii. 9). When we see that some
    men escape plagues and mishaps, whilst others perish by them, we
    must not attribute this to a difference in the properties of their
    bodies, or in their physical constitution, "for by strength shall no
    man prevail"; but it must be attributed to their different degrees
    of perfection, some approaching God, whilst others moving away from
    Him.

However, to merit that level of protection that the danger doesn't even
come -- that's the avos, Avraha, nevi'im... It's more rare. 

It might also be like we discussed recently about Hashem subjecting
people to close calls -- we only notice His aid at times when we are
saved. It might simply have been harder to craft an example by describing
a situation where we don't see the need for intervention. The Rambam
could very well hold that R' XYZ didn't slip and fall due to HP, but
there are uncountably many such possible non-events, and we can't really
relate to them.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where
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