Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 09:55:43 -0400
From: cbrown@bestware.com
Subject: Re: Hashgachah and the Rambam
I think two different issues are being confued in the discussion. The
opposite of teva is nes, not hashgacha. Imagine a tzaddik whose car breaks
down on the railroad tracks. Proportional to his level of yediyat Hashem
(as outlined by the Rambam) he may merit being saved through special
hashgacha. His salvation may come through the train being delyed (teva) or
his car flying through the air (nes). The Rambam, as I understand it,
preserves as much as possible the natural order (as do most Rishonim) and
would agree to the former but not the latter. Rambam in commenting on the
geniza of sefer harefuot writes that relying on doctors (teva) is the norm;
even the greatest tzaddik would be foolish to seek a cure through tshuvah
and abandon medicine. While R' Dessler (chelek I) says the Rambam meant
that only for the hamon am and tzaddikm need not at all rely on doctors/
medicine, the fact that the Rambam's position in many places seems to
minimize the supernatural as well as the fact that the Mishna is talking
about doro shel Chizkiyahu, where even tinok v'tinokot knew hil' tumah
v'tahara, would seem to indicate that Rambam meant this for everyone.
Chazon Ish Emunot V'Deot 5:5 reads the Rambam as I do (although he then
rejects the Rambam!) The boundries of teva and nes are absolute; the level
of hashgacha is relative to the individual. Even Shmuel haNavi was wary of
going to David lest Shaul kill him; the fact that he was a tzaddik may
assure him of hashgacha but "ain somchin al hanes" is absolute in that
natural laws are rarely abrogated. Similarly, a Rosh Yeshiva or tzaddik
may certainly merit great hashgacha, but would only be foolish if they
attempted to light vinegar or bank on winning Powerball.
-Chaim B.
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Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 19:05:59 -0500 (CDT)
From: Cheryl Maryles <C-Maryles@neiu.edu>
Subject: Re: Hashgachah and the Rambam
On Wed, 29 July 1998 cbrown@bestware.com wrote:
Similarly, a Rosh Yeshiva or tzaddik
> may certainly merit great hashgacha, but would only be foolish if they
> attempted to light vinegar or bank on winning Powerball.
Can we make a distinction in ain somchim al ha nes. I believe that there
is a difference between someone jumping in front of a speeding train and
lighting vinegar. When someone (even someone who deserves great hashgacha)
jumps in front of a train with the thought that he has so much faith in
hashem that hashem can save him is wrong because the very act of jumping
in front of the train and thus requiring a miracle is what can cause you
to lose that hashgacha which hashem would normally have for you---if I
remember correctly the chovos halavavos deals greatly with this in shaar
ha bitachon whereas a person (if he truly believed that vinegar would
light) wouldn't be wrong for lighting vinegar. After all what makes oil
light. Anything we can explain scientifically will explain how oil burns
or why it burns according to the natural order, but it won't explain WHY
it works this way (ie.why couldn't Hashem arrange the natural order
differently) so if someone really believes that hashem can cause vinegar
to light--what has he done wrong by lighting vinegar ----why is vinegar
lighting any more amazing then oil lighting, after all many liquids don't
light (on the contrary they extinguish). so one can argue that oil
lighting is also a miracle (which you will say it's not because it happens
for anyone, but who said miracles can't happen for all--when they do we
call it teva), but I maintain there is a difference being somech on a nes
after you put yourself in need of that nes and being somech on a nes
becuase you realize all teva is just a nes which happens to the masses.I
know I was a little bit wordy and repetitive but I hope I got my point
across
Elie Ginsparg
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