[Avodah] God of Love, vs. Just God

[Harry Maryles]

--- On Wed, 2/2/11, Moshe Y. Gluck <mgluck at gmail.com> wrote:




I had this discussion with someone recently and I wonder what the Chevra think: Is Hashem a Loving God? Or is he a Just God? 
This is in the context of the question I was addressing, “How can a Loving God do ___(many terrible things)_____ to me?” My answer to the gentleman, in a nutshell, was that although Hashem loves us and has mercy on us, he is not a Loving God, which, I think, is a Christian conceit, but a Just God. As humans we suffer from not having the ability to scan the entire scope of the human experience so as to understand the justness of what Hashem does, but He is always just, our perceptions notwithstanding. 
My interlocutor responded that he spoke to many people about this question of his, all way more scholarly than I am, and none of them responded like I did, proving that I am wrong. 
What does the Chevra think? Am I right? Wrong? Or is there more than one right answer here?
-----------------------------------------------------------
 
I think you're right. Love is an emotion. Emotions are entirely human - not Divine. The Midas HaDin - Justice - is not an emotion but an ethic reflecting the concept of of right versus wrong. If one looks at the Shlosh Esreh Midos Shel Rachamim - one will not see Ahava as one of them. One may see Rachamnim as reflecting love but that is really an ethical construct - not an emotional one. It express one of the ways God interacts with us. Not how God 'feels' about us.  
 
Just some quick thoughts.
 
HM


Want Emes and Emunah in your life? 

Try this: http://haemtza.blogspot.com/


 


      
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.aishdas.org/pipermail/avodah-aishdas.org/attachments/20110202/5e792ad9/attachment-0002.htm>