[Avodah] Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, hashgacha pratit, and free will

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Aug 01, 2010 at 11:48:04AM -0500, Chanoch (Ken) Bloom wrote:
: Remember, I'm trying to backread Bilvavi's position into the gemara, and
: I'm ignoring the Kuzari and Rambam who apparently disagree (and whom
: Bilvavi doesn't quote).

To some extent you and I are having different conversations. You're
trying to find what the Bilvavi's shitah is WRT various rishonim. I'm
trying to understand how the Bilvavi can saying he is basing his shitah
on these meqoros.

For your conversation it's enough to find a reading that is
plausible. However, what made it difficult for me to continue with
his sefarim was that too often it feels like a stretch, as though
his new invention is being force-fitted into quotes he is calling
meqoros. Because he calls it a maqor, if you need to "try to backread",
even if you succeed in eliminating your question, my problem still exists.

...
:> The Bilvavi portrays the MY as one who would tell you to go for the
:> kavanah. The MY himself doesn't look like that to me.

: You raise an interesting question here, but it's not the same question
: as you asked in your previous message which was  "how can Bilvavi base
: himself on MY and say one should strive for deveikut when MY says
: deveikut is something that can only be achieved in Olam haBa?" My detour
: into what deveikut means is to clarify that the MY says deveikut is
: something that can be achieved in Olah haZeh.

: But your questions now are worthwhile, specifically:
:       * How can Bilvavi say that deveikut is our only goal in Olam
:         haZeh, when the Ramchal lists a whole bunch of other things that
:         we must work to achieve?

Not "a whole bunch of other things", one thing -- sheleimus. Sheleimus
includes wanting deveiqus, among other things. This is the erev Shabbos
for which we are to prepare for deveiqus on Shabbos. Quoting that
translation, further down:
    Man was created, then, for the sake of his station in the World
    to Come. Therefore, this soul was placed in him. For it befits the
    soul to serve God; and through it a man may be rewarded in his place
    and in his time. And rather than the world's being despicable to the
    soul, it is, to the contrary, to be loved and desired by it. This is
    self-evident. After recognizing this we will immediately appreciate
    the greatness of the obligation that the mitzvoth place upon us and
    the preciousness of the Divine service which lies in our hands. For
    these are the means which bring us to true perfection, a state
    which, without them, is unattainable. ... We thus derive that the
    essence of a man's existence in this world is solely the fulfilling
    of mitzvoth, the serving of God and the withstanding of trials, and
    that the world's pleasures should serve only the purpose of aiding and
    assisting him, by way of providing him with the contentment and peace
    of mind requisite for the freeing of his heart for the service which
    devolves upon him. It is indeed fitting that his every inclination
    be towards the Creator, may His Name be blessed, and that his every
    action, great or small, be motivated by no purpose other than that
    of drawing near to the Blessed One and breaking all the barriers
    (all the earthy elements and their concomitants) that stand between
    him and his Possessor, until he is pulled towards the Blessed One
    just as iron to a magnet....

So, the way I see it, the MY is saying that olam hazeh is for sheleimus,
which includes building a taavah for and skill in deveiqus. However,
there is only minimal deveiqus in olam hazeh, and getting that deveiqus
isn't life's goal -- sheleimus is.

:       * If we take it for granted that Bilvavi and MY agree that
:         deveikut is our only goal in Olam haZeh, then what does Bilvavi
:         find lacking in MY's derech that he has to propose his own
:         derech (and present it specifically as the ikkar) to accomplish
:         that goal?

I see Bilvavi as a Mussar-Chassidus synthesis. Rather than Chassidus's
setting up situations to experience deveiqus, RIS is stressing the need
to become capable of being a nidvaq. ("Being capable of being a nidvaq"
is also a plausible sound-bite for Novhardok's derekh, but they defined
deveiqus in terms of yir'ah and bitachon rather than in more ahavah and
thus chassidishe terms.)

But unlike the MY it's not repairing one's ability for deveiqus in
preparation for real deveiqus later. Bilvavi is more Chassidish than
that -- it's acheiving deveiqus (in olam hazeh, as per chassidus) by
repearing one's ability.

I would also contrast the Bilvavi's derekh to these words by REED (MmE
5 pp 45-39, tr. RYGB, Jewish Observer):

        In our times: The qualities of "Emet" that personified the Ba'alei
        Mussar are already extinct. We no longer find individuals whose
        hearts are full with profound truth, with a strong and true
        sense of Cheshbon HaNefesh. We have reached the era of Ikvasa
        d'Mashicha, generations that Chazal described as superficial. If
        we find an individual who does learn Mussar, we find that he is
        primarily interested in the intellect of Mussar, the profound
        philosophy and psychology that are linked to Mussar. Even if he
        learns Mussar b'hispa'alus, rarely does this activity lead to
        Cheshbon HaNefesh.

	Contemporary Chassidus lacks the component that was once at its
	core: Avodas Hashem with dveykus. All that remains is the external
	form of Chassidus, something that appears like hislahavus. There
	is nigun, but the soul of nigun is no longer. Hitlahavus in
	davening is almost a thing of the past.

	For today's era, there remain only one alternative: To take up
	everything and anything that can be of aid to Yahadus; the wisdom
	of both Mussar and Chassidus together. Perhaps together they can
	inspire us to great understandings and illuminations. Perhaps
	together they might open within us reverence and appreciation of
	our holy Torah. Perhaps the arousal of Mussar can bring us to
	a little Chassidic hislahavus. And perhaps the hislahavus will
	somewhat fortify one for a Cheshbon HaNefesh. Perhaps through
	all these means together we may merit to ascend in spirituality
	and strengthen our position as Bnei Torah with an intensified
	Judaism. May G-d assist us to attain all this!

Bilvavi is taking the shei'ris hapeleitah of Eastern Europe and looking
for points in common with which to build a fusion derekh. A best of
both worlds.

REED is saying that we are too impoverished to worry about a derekh.
Just do whatever you find that works, and don't try for a synthesis or
a consistent philosophy to justify them.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             The waste of time is the most extravagant
micha at aishdas.org        of all expense.
http://www.aishdas.org                           -Theophrastus
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