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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>From: Micha Berger via Avodah
<avodah@lists.aishdas.org><BR></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>>>Two bundles of goods<BR>>>may exist without one being
fully better or worse than another.<BR>>>So, for example, excising evil
would also excise free will. Would God<BR>>>really want that?
[--RDR]<BR><BR>Well yeah, that's a frequently given piece of theodicy. A world
without<BR>Nazis is a world of robots, not people. There would be no moral
agents<BR>for good to happen to. And thus no real good in the universe at
all.<BR><BR>But it only explains the evil people do. Not congenital birth
defects<BR>and other such natural evils. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial><BR>Micha
Berger
<BR>micha@aishdas.org
<BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>I think these are two different categories -- "evil" and "suffering."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Properly speaking "evil" only refers to something that has a moral
dimension. The question of "Why does G-d allow evil?" has an
obvious answer -- to allow scope for bechira, for free will. That doesn't
fully answer the question, of course. We see many cases where He thwarts
the nefarious plots of our enemies, which leaves us with aching questions in
those cases when He seemingly stands by and does /not/ thwart their plots
-- the Holocaust being the most wrenching example. There are a lot
of answers but perhaps none that are fully satisfying to us.
Ultimately we just have to accept that we are limited creatures and can
never fully fathom His mind.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The second category, what you call "natural evils," really should not be
called evil at all (unless you want to impute evil motives to the Borei
c'v!). Rather, here the question is "Why is there suffering in the world?"
This is a different question from the question of why does He allow evil
people to commit evil deeds. Again there are many different answers, some
of which apply to different situations. Atonement for sin and purification
of the soul are just two reasons but there are many others we can think of, as
well as Divine reasons we can't think of.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Evil" and "suffering" can overlap, as when evil people cause other people
to suffer, but they are still two different categories.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>BTW the idea that a benevolent G-d "couldn't" or "wouldn't" do this or that
is an arrogant and ignorant idea, the product of puny human
minds. And compared to our Creator, even the most brilliant human mind is
puny. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Today my Creator gave me a toothache and a painful flare-up of
arthritis. But He also gave me fresh air to breathe, bright red flowers in
my garden, a beautiful blue sky, food, water, shelter and clothing, a dentist,
Advil, and also wine, coffee and chocolate. I did not want to question
whether I really deserved the chocolate, the coffee and the flowers so I
refrained from asking whether I deserved the toothache and the arthritis,
although I did ask Him to take them away. </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT><BR><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>--Toby
Katz<BR>t613k@aol.com</STRONG></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#ffffff size=2
face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>..</STRONG></FONT><FONT
lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>=============</STRONG><BR><BR><BR>-------------------------------------------------------------------</FONT></DIV>
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