It is impressive how the world is handling the Corona Virus crisis with relative sanity and maturity. Rabbis and community leaders have made hard and fast decisions to protect people by closing shuls and yeshivos. I am hoping to encourage this trend of wise and less reactionary rhetoric by suggesting that we not indulge in the typical G-d-is-punishing-us-refrain . Such as, “the shuls are being closed middah k’negged middah because we talked during davening.”

Don’t get me wrong. I am in favor of introspection and considering how one should improve, especially in the wake of a crisis. Even though personally I would never talk in Shul, I have other sins to atone for. Though there are traditional sources (see for example, Rambam, Hilchos Taaniyos ch. 1) that call upon us to repent and reflect during times of tragedy, this must be balanced with an overall healthy perspective, as I shall explain. 

In today’s times, where children and young adults can be jaded or at least sophisticated enough in their ability to ask questions, we must consider the impact of knee-jerk sermonizing. Upon being told that Corona Virus is a punishment for this sin or that, the obvious question that one may ask is, “What about all the other evil in the world? How does it make sense that G-d didn’t find the time to punish child molesters, serial killers, Nazis who used babies for target practice, but somehow focused on this sin? In fact, Maharal in Gevuros Hashem (61) makes a similar point. He says that it is erroneous to assume that miracles will happen every day. In fact, he says it is de facto heresy, because how can one stomach all the evil and suffering in the world without G-d intervening? Thus, we accept that G-d in his wisdom usually allows nature to take its course. Sure, we should pray and repent and humbly hope we will be granted miracles or at least divine inspiration and strength, but we cannot expect it.

Interestingly, when faced with imminent destruction and the seemingly obvious idea that Esther became queen in order to save the Jews, Mordechai does not say smugly, “It is bashert”. Instead he says, I know we will be saved and maybe that’s why you became queen (Esther 4:14): 

If you keep silent in this, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.

Mordechai had faith in the eternity of the Jewish people but not of his own confidence in a personal miracle.

So, how can we understand the difficulties and tragedies in life?

(Note: As the ideas in this essay are complex, I have done my best to select quotes from primary sources to back up these ideas. However, it is a dense read so I also am providing bullet point summaries along the way, for ease of comprehension. I also made it into a YouTube lecture for those that like to listen instead of read:  https://youtu.be/3eLgV1H8ZHA )

Is G-d angry with us? Is He Punishing Us?

What can it mean, to say that G-d is angry or that he punishes sinners? Anger itself is an emotion that comes from a need to become aggressive and defend oneself. What purpose is it for G-d to become angry? Is he like a father, who loses his temper with his children on a bad day? Obviously not! The Rambam (Yesode Hatorah 1:11-12) codifies how one must understand G-d's nature:

“Since it has been clarified that He does not have a body or corporeal form, it is also clear that none of the functions of the body are appropriate to Him...He is not found within time, so that He would possess a beginning, an end, or age. He does not change, for there is nothing that can cause Him to change...Neither sleep nor waking, neither anger nor laughter, neither joy nor sadness, neither silence nor speech in the human understanding of speech [are appropriate terms with which to describe Him]. Our Sages declared: "Above, there is no sitting or standing, separation or connection."

Since this is so, all such [descriptions] and the like which are related in the Torah and the words of the Prophets - all these are metaphors and imagery. [For example,] "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh" [Psalms 2:4], "They angered Me with their emptiness" [Deuteronomy 32:21], and "As God rejoiced" [ibid. 28:63]. With regard to all such statements, our Sages said: "The Torah speaks in the language of man."” (Mishne Torah Yad Hachazakah. translation of Eliyahu Touger, 1998. Brooklyn, NY: Moznaim Publishing.)

• G-d is not vulnerable to human emotions.
• He does not actually get vengeful, angry or punishing. 
• All of the scriptural references are merely anthropomorphic metaphors to help us relate as humans to an advanced idea and need behind all the Torah laws and requirements. 

However, we must behave and act as if G-d gets angry and would punish us. Rambam (Guide for the Perplexed, III:28) tells us that the Torah mandates certain beliefs that are general endpoints, which in reality require certain advanced understandings as a prerequisite to a full and more full and correct belief. Thus the Torah requires that we believe in G-d’s omnipotence, omniscience, eternity and unity, even though to fully and correctly believe the actual meaning of all this, one needs to know and understand certain philosophical truths, which the average individual may not be exposed to from the start. In addition, the Torah requires certain necessary beliefs in order to maintain society, such as the belief that G-d will be “angry” and punish those who disobey Him.  That G-d would “need” to punish or become angry is anthropomorphic and irrelevant to a higher being. In a lengthy and detailed discussion, Rambam in his Commentary in the Mishna (Introduction to Sanhedrin Perek Helek) describes his theology regarding reward and punishment in a multi-dimensional fashion. It is a miniature Guide for the Perplexed and indeed he even alludes that this is a precursor to a book he intends to write:

Understand this parable ...when they bring a young boy to a teacher to teach him Torah - and that is the greatest good for him as to what he can attain of wholeness - but due to his few years and the weakness of his intellect, he does not understand the level of this good and that which will come to him of wholeness from it. And therefore it is necessary for the teacher to encourage the study with things that are beloved to him. And [so] he says to him, "Read and I will give you nuts or figs; and I will give you a little honey." And through this he will read and exert himself; not for the actual reading - as he does not know its value - but rather so that they will give him those treats.

...and he labors in it so that he will receive through this labor the objective that is beloved to him, [Rambam then lists several iterations of higher and higher rewards as the student works his way up the hierarchy of studies, up to and including attaining the status of a scholar]

...And he will read and exert himself in order to achieve this stature and the objective will be that people will honor him and praise him. And all of this is despicable. And, nonetheless, it is necessary because of the smallness of the human intellect that he make the objective of wisdom something else besides wisdom...And it is forbidden for a whole person to say, "When I do these commandments, which are good character traits; and I distance myself from sins, which are bad character traits - that G-d, may He be blessed, commanded not to do - what is the reward that I will receive for it?" As this is like that which the child will say, "When I read this, what will they give to me?"

...it is the intention of the Torah and the foundation of the intention of the sages, peace be upon them. And only a crazed fool will ignore this, because silly thoughts and bad ideas have corrupted him and mixed him up. ....This is a very difficult thing, since not all people grasp the truth...And therefore they permitted the masses - so that their faith will sit well - to do the commandments with the hope of reward, and to separate from the sins from the fear of punishment. And we encourage them about this...And from this they will be aroused to know the truth, and they will turn into those that serve from love…

...You should know that just like the blind man does not grasp appearance of colors and the deaf man does not grasp the sound of voices and the eunuch sexual desire, so too bodies do not grasp spiritual pleasures. And just like the fish do not know the element of fire, since they are in the element of water, which is its opposite; so too, in this physical world, pleasures of the spiritual world are not known...But the spiritual pleasures are permanent, lasting forever, without end. And there is no connection or similarity in any way between these [two types] of pleasures...And so [too], when the one that will be purified is purified and he goes up to that level after his death, he does not grasp the physical pleasures and does not want them. But rather it is similar to if a king who is the top of the government would divest himself of his kingdom and his government and go back to playing ball with children, like he used to do before his kingdom...And so [too], they, may their memory be blessed, said (Berachos 17a), "In the world to come there is no eating and no drinking and no bathing and no anointing and no intercourse, but rather the righteous ones sit and their crowns are upon their heads and they derive pleasure from the radiance of the Divine Presence." ...And by their saying, "and they derive pleasure from the radiance of the Divine Presence," I would say that those souls derive pleasure in that which they grasp and know of the truth of the Creator, may He be blessed, like the holy creatures and the other levels of angels derive pleasure, in what they grasp and know of His existence...And this is the great good, to which there is no good to equate to it and no pleasure to compare to it, since how can the eternal that has no end and no finish be compared to something finite. And the complete bad and great reprisal is that the soul be cut off and be destroyed and that it not be alive and existent. And this is the cutting off (kares) that is written in the Torah, as in (Numbers 15:31), "and that soul will surely be cut off (hikares, yikares)." And they, of blessed memory, said, "Hikares - in this world, yikares - in the world to come" (Sanhedrin 64b). And it is stated (I Samuel 25:29), "the soul of my master shall be bundled in the bundle of life." 

Rambam maintains reward and punishment are not physical or even emotional experiences, but rather a form of attachment to G-d which leads to immortality of the soul, and sin and punishment are detachment from G-d, which leads to oblivion. He claims that this philosophical approach is found within the writings of the sages. Though scripture and Midrash are replete with reward and punishment, that is only for the masses who cannot imagine nor be motivated by sublime spiritual goals. According to Rambam, “reward” and “punishment” are mere metaphors with no substance; the actual desired end-state is attachment to G-d. Rambam (Guide, III:32) observes the quality within nature itself of gradual development. Thus a young child can only eat soft foods and needs to grow slowly to accommodate more complex foods. So too, the Torah mimics nature, as both are products of G-d’s wisdom.  The Torah is cognizant that people and societies need time, perhaps millennia, to develop the ability to integrate concepts and ideas to the fullest extent. Therefore, the Torah can speak in metaphor of strict crime and punishment because it is effectively true in a sense that it is as serious as that, but really much more about self-growth, attachment or G-d forbid, disconnection from the Divine.

• Even the most fundamental idea of reward and punishment, Heaven and Hell, are not actual places or experiences according to Rambam.
• Both Heaven and Hell are “necessary beliefs” to allow the average person recognition about the severity and benefit of following Torah
• The actual reward and punishment is rather the spiritual bliss of attachment of the soul to G-d, or lack thereof.
• This attachment to G-d is the greatest pleasure beyond any human comprehension and is the ultimate motivator.

Rambam knows this is a difficult concept to fully absorb. He goes onto say (ibid):

It is impossible to go suddenly from one extreme to the other: it is therefore according to the nature of man impossible for him suddenly to discontinue everything to which he has been accustomed...It was in accordance with the wisdom and plan of G-d, as displayed in the whole Creation, that He did not command us to give up and to discontinue all these manners of service; for to obey such a commandment it would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to that to which he is used to; it would in those days have made the same impression as a prophet would make at present if he called us to the service of G-d and told us in His name, that we should not pray to Him, not fast, not seek His help in time of trouble; that we should serve Him in thought, and not by any action. For this reason G-d allowed these kinds of service to continue; He transferred to His service that which had formerly served as a worship of created beings, and of things imaginary and unreal, and commanded us to serve Him in the same manner; viz., to build unto Him a temple; By this Divine plan it was effected that the traces of idolatry were blotted out, and the truly great principle of our faith, the Existence and Unity of G-d, was firmly established; this result was thus obtained without deterring or confusing the minds of the people by the abolition of the service to which they were accustomed and which alone was familiar to them. 

...I know that you will at first thought reject this idea and find it strange; you will put the following question to me in your heart: How can we suppose that Divine commandments, prohibitions, and important acts, which are fully explained, and for which certain seasons are fixed, should not have been commanded for their own sake, but only for the sake of some other thing: as if they were only the means which He employed for His primary object? What prevented Him from making His primary object a direct commandment to us, and to give us the capacity of obeying it? 

...There occurs in the Law a passage which contains exactly the same idea; it is the following: "G-d led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for G-d said, Lest the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt; but G-d led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea," etc. (Exod. 13:17). Here G-d led the people about, away from the direct road which He originally intended, because He feared they might meet on that way with hardships too great for their ordinary strength; He took them by another road in order to obtain thereby His original object. In the same manner G-d refrained from prescribing what the people by their natural disposition would be incapable of obeying, and gave the above-mentioned commandments as a means of securing His chief object, viz., to spread a knowledge of Him [among the people], ...It is contrary to man's nature that he should suddenly abandon all the different kinds of Divine service and the different customs in which he has been brought up, and which have been so general, that they were considered as a matter of course; it would be just as if a person trained to work as a slave with mortar and bricks, or similar things, should interrupt his work, clean his hands, and at once fight with real giants. It was the result of G-d's wisdom that the Israelites were led about in the wilderness till they acquired courage. For it is a well-known fact that travelling in the wilderness, and privation of bodily enjoyments, such as bathing, produce courage, whilst the reverse is the source of faint-heartedness: besides, another generation rose during the wanderings that had not been accustomed to degradation and slavery...In the same way the portion of the Law under discussion is the result of divine wisdom, according to which people are allowed to continue the kind of worship to which they have been accustomed, in order that they might acquire the true faith, which is the chief object [of G-d's commandments]...the nature of man is never changed by G-d by way of miracle. It is in accordance with this important principle that G-d said, "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me," etc. (Deut. 5:26). It is also for this reason that He distinctly stated the commandments and the prohibitions, the reward and the punishment...If it were part of His will to change [at His desire] the nature of any person, the mission of prophets and the giving of the Law would have been altogether superfluous.

• The Torah allows for the gradual development of human consciousness and awareness, thus it speaks on many levels 
• It may be necessary to relate to G-d as punishing or rewarding, because humans need to be aroused by emotions
• In the sense that G-d created us and allows us the opportunity to be attached to Him, he is loving and kind.

Is such an abstract view of G-d’s emotions or lack thereof really surprising? Rambam openly shares that many of his thoughts are developed from Aristotle, about whom he expressed unalloyed adulation and admiration, and mentions no less than 70 times in his Guide for the Perplexed. Let us examine how Aristotle describes G-d: (Metaphysics 12:9): 

The nature of the divine thought involves certain problems; for while thought is held to be the most divine of things observed by us, the question how it must be situated in order to have that character involves difficulties. For if It thinks of nothing, what is there here of dignity? It is just like one who sleeps. And if It thinks, but this depends on something else, then (since that which is its substance is not the act of thinking, but a potency) it cannot be the best substance; for it is through thinking that Its value belongs to It. Further, whether Its substance is the faculty of thought or the act of thinking, what does It think of? Either of Itself or of something else; and if of something else, either of the same thing always or of something different. Does it matter, then, or not, whether it thinks of the good or of any chance thing? Are there not some things about which it is incredible that it should think? Evidently, then, it thinks of that which is most divine and precious, and it does not change; for change would be change for the worse, and this would be already a movement. First, then, if 'thought' is not the act of thinking but a potency, it would be reasonable to suppose that the continuity of Its thinking is wearisome to It. Secondly, there would evidently be something else more precious than thought, viz. that which is thought of. For both thinking and the act of thought will belong even to one who thinks of the worst thing in the world, so that if this ought to be avoided (and it ought, for there are even some things which it is better not to see than to see), the act of thinking cannot be the best of things. Therefore it must be of itself that the divine thought thinks (since it is the most excellent of things), and Its thinking is a thinking on thinking…

If anyone really understands the above quote and its full implications, then one can see what Rambam is contending with.  On the one hand G-d is utterly removed and abstract, and on the other hand the Torah teaches us that He is the involved father for each and everyone of his children.  How can one reckon with this, and still remain sane and religious?  

Theologically, Rambam seems to have painted himself into a corner. For if G-d is so abstract, so unknowable, unchanging, and infinite, what is the point of prayer? Especially regarding prayers where one requests for material needs as opposed to prayers of thanksgiving, how is it theologically tenable that anything Man can say would convince G-d to change His mind, as it were? Furthermore, if one deserves something on the merit of good deeds, or deserves deprivation due to poor moral choices, what could prayer possibly accomplish?  The GR”A famously had pointed criticism of Maimonides for being influenced by Greek philosophy in response to the Maimonides’s rejection of the efficacy of amulets in his commentary on Shulkhan Aruch (YD 179 note 13): 

“The accursed philosophy caused him to stray due to its enticing qualities, and thus he reinterpreted statements from the Talmud as allegorical, uprooting them from their plain and obvious meaning. Perish the thought that I should believe in these ideas or their ilk, rather these statements in the Talmud about amulets are as literally stated. Yet, they also have an inner meaning, but not the inner meaning of the philosophers which are really external, but the inner meanings of the masters of truth.”

When Rambam discusses worship (Guide III:51) he does not seem troubled at all by this, as he goes on to describe an intimate and personal process of how to pray and become attached to G-d:

“I will now commence to show you the way how to educate and train yourselves in order to attain that great perfection. The first thing you must do is this : Turn your thoughts away from everything while you read Shema. or during the Shemoneh Esre, and do not content yourself with being devout when you read the first verse of Shema, or the first paragraph of the prayer. When you have successfully practiced this for many years, try in reading the Law or listening to it, to have all your heart and all your thought occupied with understanding what you read or hear. After some time when you have mastered this, accustom yourself to have your mind free from all other thoughts when you read any portion of the other books of the prophets, or when you say any blessing; and to have your attention directed exclusively to the perception and the understanding of what you utter..to approach Him and to minister before Him in the true manner which I have described to you-not in hollow emotions. This I consider as the highest perfection wise men can attain by the above training.”

What is Prayer?

But how can one understand prayer as meaningful and efficacious when we cannot sense if we are being heard or if we will succeed?

Some have proposed that prayer is about a person encountering himself and wrestling with himself via the activity of supplication. In effect, the activity of prayer changes a person to the point that he merits something different from G-d. Prayer then is an emotional exercise that arouses a person to a different state. For example, just as we know G-d to be without a body and incorporeal, we still are instructed by Shulkhan Aruch (O.H. 98:1) to imagine as if we are standing before a king. We are not really standing before a king, but we imagine it so in order to comprehend and relate to what we are doing, which is similar to begging a king, though of course entirely different as well. Those who use this argument call attention to the similarity of the root of the Hebrew word for prayer (tefila) to that of judgment (pelilim) or wrestling (niftal). This answer feels forced, and dry of emotional power. Is it really tenable, to believe that when we pray we are changing ourselves, and G-d is only reacting to that change, and not really showing mercy? 

On the other hand, as a couple and family therapist I have seen the transformative power of humble communication and vulnerability. Families and individuals change almost magically when they listen and talk to each other with respect and empathy. This happens even without any solution or compromise. Somehow everything changes when there is understanding and compassion. Nature, Torah and G-d seem to operate in consistent and similar systems. If so, this idea about reflection and prayer, and how it brings about change is more understandable. 

• One view on prayer is that it allows a person to mediate and reflect.
• This meditation and reflection arouses greater levels of attachment to G-d.
• In essence prayer changes one’s fate because it allows the person to change his or her awareness of G-d

Sefer Haikkarim, (Rabbi Joseph Albo 1380-144, IV:18) offers a different more pleasing formulation for the purpose and effects of prayer: G-d made the world so that everything needs to be accomplished through the actions of man, even when guided or decreed by G-d. For example, though G-d may decree that a farmer will become wealthy through a bumper crop, he still needs to till the soil and sow the seeds. So too, prayer is man's effort in the spiritual realm to activate what G-d decrees, and therefore it is impactul for humans to engage in it.

The answer from Sefer Haikkarim is similar to that given to me many years ago by Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT'L in a private discussion: 

“Though it may not make logical sense, we have a tradition that Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous. And sometimes, even when something is potentially destined to occur on merit, Hashem still holds back until it is prayed for.” 

• Sefer Haikkarim sees prayer as part of a law of the Universe. G-d waits for man to pray and intervene in order to activate His will in this world.

Support for this idea is found in the text of the Avinu Malkeinu prayer. We ask to be written in the “Scroll of Merits.” One might ask, either one repents and has merits, or one does not. We can understand the existence of the other scrolls, such as the “Scroll of Life”, the “Scroll of Forgiveness” etc. because these are specific requests for something to be given. What is the function of a separate Scroll of Merit? The answer may be that we are specifically asking to be given merit, via the power of prayer, even when we do not deserve it. In addition, there is Responsum of Rav Moshe Feinstein (EH I:91) where he attests that at times, through the power of prayer, G-d may even grant an improper wish. While this is something worthy to believe because of the various traditions quoted, it does not really deal with the philosophical problem other than to say it is true, despite it being difficult to understand. Additionally, we still may question why? Meaning, what is the lesson and function in needing to pray for something to happen? Why does G-d make us jump through these hoops?

The Mishna Kiddushin (4:14) states seemingly contradictory directives about effort, fate, prayer and providence: 

“Said Rabbi Meir, one should always teach his son a clean and easy profession, and pray to the One Whom Wealth Belongs (G-d), for there is no profession that does not have those who are poor or those who are wealthy, for wealth or poverty does not come from professional prowess but only from one's merit.”

The Mishna mentions three factors for material success: (1) Human effort, that is to teach one's children a clean and easy profession; (2) prayer; (3) merit. The question raised by the commentaries is: What is the point of human effort if one's wealth is in the hands of G-d? Secondly, what is the point of prayer, if wealth is determined by merit?

Tosafos Yom Tov (Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller, 1579-1654, ibid) discusses the role of a person's mazal (which can be understood as one's fate – either based on an astrological signs or in more modern terms, based on one's genetic and environmental circumstances.) According to Tosafos Yom Tov, mazal is the main reason for what happens to a person and prayer or merit may not succeed in overriding this. However, through the power of prayer, it is possible to sometimes to transcend the mazal and change one’s fate. Tosafos Yom Tov understands the Mishna to be saying that reality factors such as human effort and one's natural circumstances are quite powerful, yet do not underestimate the power of prayer. Tosafos Yom Tov leaves the reader with a question that he does not offer an answer for, and that is why the Mishna uses the word “merit”, which usually implies an accumulation of morally earned reward, to characterize what is really meant as mazal, which actually is circumstances based on fate and not morality. 

Tiferes Yisrael (ibid) expands on the ideas expressed by Tosafos Yom Tov, as well as answering this question. Tiferes Yisrael suggests that in the Mishna, the word merit (zechus) is meant in the literal sense, meaning not specifically an accrual of moral capital and reward, but just plain accrual of benefit. Thus merit (zechus) in this Mishna simply means whatever beneficial circumstances the person naturally finds himself in, not having anything to do with reward. He goes on to explain that there are basically three factors that influence what happens to a person: (1) Mazal; (2) Human effort; and (3) Prayer. Tiferes Yisrael breaks mazal up into several subdivisions, but basically they fit into two main categories: One's genetic predisposition, such as his innate talents and weaknesses, and one's familial and environmental circumstances, such as his upbringing and opportunities or disadvantages posed by his culture and country. The dynamic of all these natural factors, that sometimes occur over centuries and generations, is what he calls mazal. As such, Tiferes Yisrael says this is the force of nature, and the Hebrew word for nature (teva) is similar to the word for a coin. Just as a kingdom does not undermine or invalidate its minted currency (think of how the Federal Government is careful to monitor interest rates to manage inflation and recession), so too G-d rarely changes nature. This is alluded to in the famous story of Rabbi Eliezer ben Pedaas who prayed to Hashem to extricate him from poverty. Hashem's answer was, “Do you think I should turn the world upside down from the beginning of time to allow you to become wealthy? (Taanis 25a)” Tiferes Yisrael understands this Gemara to be saying, sometimes even for a great tzaddik, there is too much mazal and too many natural circumstances that cannot change the reality. Tevye sings in Fiddler on the Roof, “Would it spoil some vast eternal plan, if I were a wealthy man?” Apparently, for Rabbi Eliezer ben Pedas, G-d answered him that it would!

Based on this idea, Tiferes Yisrael posits the following: Sometimes the forces of nature are powerful and binding, while at other times, they are weak. Furthermore, sometimes a person's merit and prayer is powerful and other times it is weak. This is why it may come to pass that a relatively unremarkable person may have his prayers answered when either the force of nature is weak, or in that situation his prayer is strong. Thus, the Mishna in Kiddushin is really saying that all three forces, nature, effort and prayer interact in a dynamic way, and one can never be sure what will work, but they are all worthy of trying.

• Tiferes Yisrael understands that life and fate are a complex matrix of the standing forces of nature which G-d is reluctant to change, individual effort, and individual merit.
• Thus, depending on the degree of the physical situation, i.e the mazal, it may require greater degree of zechus to merit salvation.
• Nature is G-d’s will, so G-d will usually not reverse it under ordinary circumstances.

When the Righteous Suffer and Evil Flourishes

Rambam also explains suffering or success in this world as coming from attachment or disconnection from G-d (Guide III:51):

We have already stated in the chapters which discuss Providence, that providence watches over every rational being according to the amount of intellect which that being possesses. Those who are perfect in their perception of G-d, whose mind is never separated from Him, enjoy always the influence of Providence. But those who, perfect in their knowledge of G-d, turn their mind sometimes away from G-d, enjoy the presence of Divine Providence only when they meditate on G-d; when their thoughts are engaged in other matters, divine Providence departs from them...Hence it appears to me that it is only in times of such neglect that some of the ordinary evils befall a prophet or a perfect and pious man: and the intensity of the evil is proportional to the duration of those moments, or to the character of the things that thus occupy their mind...Divine Providence is constantly watching over those who have obtained that blessing which is prepared for those who endeavour to obtain it. If man frees his thoughts from worldly matters, obtains a knowledge of G-d in the right way, and rejoices in that knowledge, it is impossible that any kind of evil should befall him while he is with G-d, and G-d with him. When he does not meditate on G-d, when he is separated from G-d, then G-d is also separated from him; then he is exposed to any evil that might befall him; for it is only that intellectual link with G-d that secures the presence of Providence and protection from evil accidents. Hence it may occur that the perfect man is at times not happy, whilst no evil befalls those who are imperfect; in these cases what happens to them is due to chance.”  

Rambam’s position is that since a righteous person might, at times, even if only momentarily, lose his mindful connection to G-d, at that moment, he can suffer a mishap caused by the normal and random day to day entropic events in the world. The more a person develops his soul to be mindfully connected to G-d via the cultivation of Godly wisdom and character traits, the more likely he is to benefit from providence. This protection buoys him above the random dangers of the world. 

Such an approach seems to fly in the face of what we are taught, that G-d orchestrates and supervises every human matter directly.  In fact, Talmud (Niddah 31a) discusses the common miracle story that we often hear, such as someone “accidentally” coming late to work, only to find that “the planes hit the twin towers”:

Rav Yosef taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And on that day you shall say: I will give thanks to You, Lord, for You were angry with me; Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me” (Isaiah 12:1)? With regard to what matter is the verse speaking?

It is referring, for example, to two people who left their homes to go on a business trip. A thorn penetrated the body of one of them, and he was consequently unable to go with his colleague. He started blaspheming and cursing in frustration. After a period of time, he heard that the ship of the other person had sunk in the sea, and realized that the thorn had saved him from death. He then started thanking God and praising Him for his delivery due to the slight pain caused to him by the thorn. This is the meaning of the statement: I will give thanks to You, Lord, for You were angry with me. Therefore, it is stated at the end of the verse: “Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.”

And this statement is identical to that which Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who does wondrous things alone; and blessed be His glorious name forever” (Psalms 72:18–19)? What does it mean that God “does wondrous things alone”? It means that even the one for whom the miracle was performed does not recognize the miracle that was performed for him.

But Rambam will say, this is the simple accessible guidance for the broadest audience. But truly, G-d’s providence is more complex. Ralbag (Iyov chapter 33) ingeniously reinterprets this idea to express the Rambam’s exact intention. When a person achieves higher levels of character development, and his soul attaches to the active intellect, he may unconsciously or instinctively avoid a disaster by “arranging” to trip or fall sick. Ralbag compares this to an animal that instinctively runs from danger just by sense of smell. Ralbag turns the chazal in Niddah on its head. Instead of G-d causing a person to miss a boat that was going to sink by breaking a leg, Ralbag sees it that the person's link with G-d that led him to an intuition so he unconsciously or intuitively, tripped and fell, or slept late and missed the boat that was destined to sink. 

• According to Rambam and Ralbag, Providence or Hashgacha Pratis depends on the degree of attachment and mindful contact with G-d.
• Miracles and avoidance of mishap come from conscious and unconscious insight and inspiration via the soul’s connection to G-d.
• This is why even the righteous may suffer at times. If they were momentarily not connected to G-d, they might have missed out on divine insight to protect them from accidents or catastrophes. This leaves them vulnerable to the natural consequences of the forces of the world.

The whole idea is fascinating because the Torah operates on different levels. On the one hand, we act and feel as if G-d loves and cares about us in a human way. He loves us, he punishes us and he saves us. Yet, the true mechanism of G-d’s involvement in this world according to Rambam is our connection and attachment to Him. 

As one example, when we pray in Modim, “and for our souls which are entrusted to you...and for your miracles that are with us daily,” it can be understood on multiple levels. On one level we are beseeching and supplicating G-d to have mercy upon us. On the other hand, it is an arousing meditation to help understand G-d‘s power so that we may cleave to Him. This kind of meditation can inspire greater levels of attachment and awareness of G-d so that optimal providence is achieved.

Another way to look at it is that we are humans who are aroused by human emotions. We must feel connected to G-d in only a human way because we cannot easily ignore our basic needs for love and connection. Just as one may listen to music (which is one method of the prophets) or read a poem to become emotionally aroused, we must relate to God as a father and king to allow ourselves to become aroused to become connected to him. The philosophical and metaphysical realities may be more complex than that. However, on a human level He loves us and we love Him. He cares about us and we care about Him. If it is helpful for some to think of Him as an angry punishing father, we may do so. Yet, as we have seen from ample sources in our tradition, it is certainly not necessary to do so and it is far from the complete truth.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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