Ramban Parshas Vayera

Maybe we will begin here in

פרק יח פסוק יז. השם אמר המכסה אני מאברהם אשר אני עושה.

And then Midrash Aggadah Zecher Tzadik Livracha. בו והזכיר בו והזכירו. Pishuto shel mikra המכסה אני מאברהם ואברהם היו יהיה. What's the flow of the pesukim? המכסה אני מאברהם אשר אני עושה and then the next pasuk v'Avraham hayo yihyeh. So Rashi gives two peshatim. The first that Zecher Tzadik Livracha, hold on, to hizkir beracha. Pishuto shel mikra, where HaKadosh Baruch Hu is explaining why it's so incongruous that that he should not disclose to Avraham Avinu the destruction of Sdom v'Amora. V'hanachon, because Hashem Yisbarach spoke in the kvar Avraham. Amar,

הנה הוא עתיד להיות לגוי גדול ועצום ויהיה זכור בזרעו בכל גויי הארץ וברכה.

V'chein, לכן לא אכסה ממנו. Because yomru hadorot habaim, eich kisa mimeno, or eich nisachzer hatzadik al shecheinav v'rachmim alav ולא התפלל עליהם כלל. It would be a Chillul Hashem either for for people to see that HaKadosh Baruch Hu again kept it hidden from him or if it fell assumed that Avraham Avinu knew and yet we find no record of of his having davened. So Chillul Hashem the impression of eich nisachzer hatzadik. What's more the Ramban now explaining the the flow of the pesukim into pasuk yud tes.

והגילוי אליו טוב ויפה כי ידעתי בו שהוא מקפיד ויודע שאני השם עושה צדקה ומשפט. כלומר שאני עושה משפט רק בצדקה. ולכן ולכן יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו לאחוז דרכי. והנה אם בדרך צדקה ומשפט יפטרו יתפלל לפני להניחם בטוב הדבר ואם חייבים הם לגמרי גם הוא יחפוץ במשפטם ולכן ראוי שיבוא בסוד השם.

So again Ramban explains the flow into pasuk yud tes. Ramban here touches on on a very very important yesod. He says that as it were I can disclose what's going to happen to Avraham Avinu thereby inviting him to daven because Avraham Avinu will daven appropriately. Because Avraham Avinu understands that my midda is שאני עושה משפט רק בצדקה. It it's a very very important yesod. You know on on the one hand the Torah enumerates the יג מידות הרחמים, ארך אפים ורב חסד. Ma'idech gisa, הצור תמים פעלו כי כל דרכיו משפט. So eich yitkaymu shneihem? Kol drachav mishpat. But the emes is that the hint that there's an omek here is within the יג מידות הרחמים, ארך אפים ורב חסד ואמת. Within the יג מידות הרחמים, so the Torah includes the midda of emes. So the answer is that the rachamim can can come in two different forms. A middas, a middas rachmanus can be displayed, which doesn't, which contradicts mishpat. You have a rotzei'ach. You say, no, we have to have compassion on the rotzei'ach. It's a middas harachamim that can contradict mishpat. And then there's a middas harachamim which is consistent with mishpat. It mitigates mishpat, but is consistent with mishpat. When the Torah tells us Hakadosh Baruch Hu is rachum vechanun, it means that Hakadosh Baruch Hu exercises a middas harachamim, that a middas harachamim which is consistent with mishpat, a middas harachamim which mitigates mishpat, but doesn't chas veshalom contradict mishpat. And that's what this Ramban is saying: שאני עושה משפט ורחמים. And that's what Avraham Avinu understood, and mimmela, Avraham Avinu will davven appropriately. He'll davven that if bederech tzedakah umishpat, if, if a middas harachamim which mitigates mishpat but is consistent with mishpat, if Avraham Avinu will davven for that: יתפלל לפניו להניחם בתוך רשעם. But if chayavim heim legamrei and it would be a middas harachamim that would contradict mishpat, so that Avraham Avinu was not going to davven for. The Ramchal in perek daled in Mesillas Yesharim writes how we like to delude ourselves into thinking that there's a middas harachamim which contradicts mishpat.

אמנם העניין הוא כי הנה המשקל המאזן כך עולה בכף הקלות כמה חמורות. כי לא ישקיף החמורות את הקלות ולא יעלים הדיין עינו מהם כלל כאשר לא יעלים את החמורות. אלא על כולם ישקיף ויפקח בהשואה אחת לדון כל אחד מהם ובמקרה של

aveiros chas veshalom

ולהעניש אחר כך על כל אחד כפי מה שהוא. והוא מה שלמה המלך עליו השלום אומר: כי את כל מעשה האלקים יבא במשפט וגו', כי כאשר אין הקב"ה מניח המשקל על מעשה טוב קטן כפי מה שהוא.

There's no mitzvah, there's no maaseh tov which is too little, which is insignificant that Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn't reward.

זה לעומת זה עשה אלקים, וכן לא יניח ממשפט להוכיח כל מעשה רע קטן כפי מה שהוא ולהוציא מלב הרוצה להשתפות ולחשוב שלא יעלה האדון ברוך הוא בדין הדברים הקלים ולא יקח חשבון עליהם. להוציא מלב הרוצה להשתפות,

to be convinced, to be swayed,

ולחשוב שלא יעלה האדון ברוך הוא בדין הדברים הקלים ולא יקח חשבון עליהם. כללו הוא: כל האומר הקדוש ברוך הוא וותרן, ייוותרו חייו.

Vchein amru, if יאמר לך יצר הרע חטוא and Hakadosh Baruch Hu מוחל לך על פשעך, and this is a davar pashut umivuar

כי הנה קל אמת ה'. והוא מה שאמר משה רבנו עליו השלום: הצור תמים פעלו כי כל דרכיו משפט קל אמונה ואין עול וגו'. כי כיון שהקדוש ברוך הוא רוצה במשפט הנה כוחו על המשפט הרי מסייע מן הזכות כמו מן החובה ומן החובה כמו מן הזכות.

It's equally a distortion of mishpat to ignore wrongdoing the same way it's a distortion of mishpat to ignore mitzvos and maasim tovim. Veim tomar, skipping a few lines:

אם כן מדת הרחמים למה היא עומדת כיון שעל כל פנים צריך לדקדק בדין על כל דבר. התשובה וודאי מדת הרחמים היא קיומו של עולם שלא היה עומד זולתה כלל וכלל ואף על פי כן אין מדת הדין לוקה.

So that's the yesod, right? That's mishpat b'tzedaka, that there's a midas harachamim which is consistent with din, which is compatible with din, which mitigates din. And that's the midas harachamim of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, not a midas harachamim that contradicts din. משל למה הדבר דומה. In parenting, saviva v'saviva, the emphasis and the thrust and the dagesh chazak is supposed to be on the love and on the nurturing and the positive atmosphere. Maiseh u'maiseh, but there's a difference between that and raising a child who turns out to be a spoiled brat, right? So obviously there has to be within that, there has to be, the child has to be educated to know that there are boundaries in life and that there are boundaries for behavior. Now Ramchal explains how, what the midas harachamim entails which is consistent and compatible with din. כי לפי שורת הדין ממש, if Hakadosh Baruch Hu exercised pure din, not mitigated by rachamim, so then the following three things would be true. A,

היה ראוי שהחוטא יענש מיד תכף לחטאו בלי המתנה כלל.

You rob a bank, as soon as you catch the thief, they arrest you and put you down. They don't say, well, we'll wait five years and see whether you decide to return all the money to the bank and whether you stay clean. No. לפי שורת הדין ממש, if there weren't a midas harachamim rachamna l'tzlan, that's one. So

היה ראוי שהחוטא יענש מיד תכף לחטאו בלי המתנה כלל,

A. B,

וגם שהעונש עצמו יהיה בחרון אף כראוי למי שממרה פי הבורא יתברך שמו.

A pure midas hadin rachamna l'tzlan would dictate that the onesh be commensurate to the cheit, the cheit of rebelling against Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And three, a pure midas hadin would have entailed שלא יהיה תיקון למחטא כלל. What's done is done. You can't undo what happened. That's what a midas hadin would have said.

כי הנה באמת איך יתקן האדם את אשר עות והחטא כבר נעשה?

Skipping a line. ואיך יוכל להסיר המעשה העשוי מן המציאות? Omnam midas harachamim is הנותנת הפך השלושה דברים שזכרנו. Dehaynu, A, שיינתן זמן לחוטא ולא יכחד מן הארץ מיד כשחטא. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is erech apayim. Hakadosh Baruch Hu waits. Two, ושהעונש עצמו לא יהיה עד לכלה. Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn't punish commensurate. Three, ושהתשובה תינתן לחוטא בחסד גמור. That we have the opportunity, the invitation to do teshuva, שתחשב עקירת הרצון כעקירת המעשה. So that's the yesod that the Ramban here is touching upon. Also, what emerges from the Ramban, also a very important point, is that when a person davens, a person is obligated to daven in a responsible fashion. הגילו אליו טוב ויפה, because I know that he'll daven appropriately. I know that he's going to daven appropriately. To the same way that in the end of Brachos we are told that it's assur to daven a tefillas shav. What's a tefillas shav? So a tefillas shav is let's say rachamna l'tzlan a person sees a fire engines with sirens blaring racing to a fire rachamna l'tzlan. So a person is not supposed to say yehi ratzon that the fire is not in my house, because the fire is where it is. A person can say yehi ratzon that it shouldn't spread, but a person can't be mispallel what is is. A person can't be mispallel... that what has already happened shouldn't shouldn't be the case. It's a tefillas shav. When a woman is in childbirth, so the husband is not supposed to be pacing up and down, davening for whatever gender child he prefers. The gender of the child has has been nikba. He can and should be davening that everything should go well and smoothly and easily vechulu vechulu. But he's not supposed to be davening for the gender of the child. So the same way a person bederech klal is not supposed to daven for a nes nigleh, a person is not allowed to daven for for a nes nigleh. And the Ramban basically is adding another another example to that list that a person is not supposed to daven against the middos of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. A person can't daven... אם חייבים הם לגמרי, a person can't daven, shouldn't daven that Hakadosh Baruch Hu should exercise a middas harachamim which contradicts din. And that's what that's what the Ramban says that Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, הביא אליו טוב ויפה. I don't have to worry. Avraham Avinu's going to daven within appropriate boundaries for Anshei Sdom. The next pasuk: Ki yedativ. כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה. Lashon Rashi: harei yedatini, Ketargumo. Lashon chiba, kemo moda le'ishah, va'eda'acha. So sometimes yediyah connotes chiba. Then Rashi explains it's not an independent meaning.

אמנם עיקר כולם לשון ידיעה שהמחבב את האדם מקורבו אצלו יודעו ומכירו.

Skipping one line in the Ramban. ויתכן שיהיה ידעתיו גדלתיו ורוממתיו. I've elevated him.

בעבור אשר יצוה את בניו אחריו לעשות את הישר לפני.

So that he'll be in a position to to be

מצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו לעשות הישר לפני. ולכך הכינותיו לגוי גדול ועצום שיעבדוני. וכן מהו ידעתיך בשם,

mah adam vatedaehu. So another suggestion that yedativ doesn't mean lashon chiba but the Ramban suggests that sometimes you find that yedativ can mean lashon gedulah that giddaltiv veromamtiv. vehanachon be'einai, says the Ramban, shetihiye yediyah mamash.

ירמוז כי ידיעת השם שהיא השגחתו בעולם השפל היא לשמור הכללות. ובבני האדם להניחם למקרה עד בוא עת פקודתם. אבל בחסידיו ישום אליהם לבו לדעת אותו בפרט להיות שמירתו דבקה בו תמיד. ולא תפרד הידיעה והזכירה ממנו כלל. כטעם לא יגרע מצדיק עיניו. ובאו מזה פסוקים רבים כדכתיב הנה עין השם אל יראיו וזולת זה.

Okay, so there's a lot to try to understand but just superficially, the havana of hashgacha that the Ramban sets forth here is very much along the same lines as the as the Rambam says. Leaving aside people... אם ירצה השם בלי נדר we'll come and qualify, modify how, when people are different. So in the animal world, in the plant world, so there is no hashgacha on individuals. That Hakadosh Baruch Hu created a world with animals, he created a world with plants. So what was, is the ratzon Hashem? The ratzon Hashem is that there should be orange trees in the world. The ratzon Hashem is that there should be horses and camels and carrots in the world. That's the ratzon Hashem. It isn't the ratzon Hashem that this individual horse should be here, because the horses are born, they die, there's no nitzchiyus for horses, so clearly that's not the ratzon Hashem. The ratzon Hashem is on the klal. השגחתו בעולם השפל היא לשמור הכלל. A little bit more to try to understand, משל למה הדבר דומה. Let's say there's going to be a governmental policy to protect an endangered species. They decide that buffalo have become an endangered species. So they're going to regulate the laws of hunting, how many buffalo can be hunted in any given year, because by so doing it will ensure, if you limit the number, so then the population growth will be greater than the number being hunted, so then you'll be protecting the species. So when they make such legislation, so they don't protect individual buffalo; it's gotta be a general they're protecting the klal. Within that klal, so which buffalo will end up being hunted and then which ones will end up being protected by the legislation is not a function of the legislation, that's going to be a mikreh. They're going to allow that so many buffalo a year can be hunted, v'sulo, so it's going to be munachim bo l'mikreh. So all that is again, if they're worried about deforestation, so what's the policy going to be? So the policy's going to be that so many trees that can be cut down in some given areas, but they're not going to specify which trees yes, which trees no. So the legislation will protect the klal, it's not protecting parts. So that's a mashal for Hakadosh Baruch Hu's hashgacha in the world. So what about people? So here the Ramban, again the Ramban because he's interested in saying what the pshat is by Avraham Avinu, so the Ramban doesn't flesh it out as fully as if his focus were to systematically explain hashgacha, so he would say this more elaborately and more nuanced. His focus is to say pshat in the pasuk. So because of that, he just goes to one end of the spectrum. But the Ramban says people are not necessarily or automatically different than, again, the Rambam says the same thing. We like to think, presumably that comes from the egotistical impulse, we like to think that we're inherently, intrinsically special. And what the Rishonim teach us is that we're potentially special, we're not inherently or intrinsically special. A person can walk upright on two feet and he can be a vilde chaya and he can be a beheimah. And a person's tzelem Elokim the way the Rambam says it is a potential, is a capacity that he has to exercise, it's a potential that he has to realize. Again, so we're saying this more elaborately than the Ramban says it. Because what we're talking a little bit about hashgacha, Ramban is talking about pshat in the pasuk. At one end of the spectrum, at one extreme of the spectrum, is you have a person and the person lives a life which doesn't have any spiritual component, no spiritual religious component. So what does he do? He eats breakfast and he eats lunch and he eats and he eats supper and he goes to work so that he'll have money to buy the food for breakfast, lunch, and the, and the supper and to go on his annual or semi-annual vacations. And that's his life. His life is he deals with his physical needs, he tries to indulge his impulse, impulses and urges for pleasure. He doesn't exist fundamentally different than, to give the political incorrectness, he doesn't exist fundamentally different than a member of the herd of buffalo. Yes, you can, if you want to pick him out as an individual, you can say oh, he's so tall and this is his hair color and this is his eye color and this is his shirt size and ve-chulu ve-chulu, but the same way if you'll point to a buffalo herd and say see, see this one weighs 10 pounds more than the other buffalo and this buffalo has, there's a shade of color that's different, so what's our reaction? Our reaction is a buffalo's a buffalo. Mah dehavah dehavah. So what? This buffalo weighs 10 pounds more than that buffalo? Or this buffalo has purple eyes and this buffalo has polka dot eyes? Le-mai nafka mina? A buffalo's a buffalo. It doesn't, it doesn't individuate it. Okay, so same thing with people. So, so, so he's taller, he's shorter, he's in this profession, he's in that profession. So, so what? That doesn't וממילא גם בני אדם מונחים בו על ידי מקרה. It's not automatic. Hashgacha isn't automatic. Hashgacha isn't because because a person walks upright instead of instead of walking on on all fours. Then to the degree that a person isn't just an anonymous member of the herd, but to the degree that a person is a yachid, he's a yachid, מקושר להקדוש ברוך הוא, to Torah u-Mitzvos, to that degree, he's not just an anonymous member of the klal. And again, anonymous members of the klal, when you make legislation, you're not protecting particular buffalo, you're protecting the buffalo as a whole. When you make legislation, you're not protecting particular trees, you prevent deforestation. You want that there should be trees. To the degree that a person isn't just again living a physical, in the physical, in the exclusively physical sense of it, natural life, but he's living a spiritual life, to the degree that he's מקושר להקדוש ברוך הוא, to that degree he taki becomes a yachid. Not just an anonymous member of the human race, he becomes a yachid. Then a person has hashgacha. How much hashgacha? Depends how much of a yachid he is, how much of a buffalo he is. It depends, it depends. Chasidei elyon have a hashgacha 24/7. The hashgacha is complete. That's what yediato means.

הנחה בעיני שהיא ידיעה בעלמא ממש והוא מה שתהיה ידיעת השם שהיא השגחתו בעולם השפל היא לשמור הכלל.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted there should be orange trees in the world. Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted there should be bushes in the world. The hashgacha isn't that that particular bush should exist le-netzach netzachim.

וגם בני האדם מונחים ביד המקרה עד בואת פקודתם. אבל בחסידיו ישים אליו לבו לדעתו בפרט.

He's a yachid. He's a yachid, not an anonymous member of the klal. He's a yachid. להיות שמירתו דבוקה בו תמיד. And because of that, because Hakadosh Baruch Hu, because this person is a yachid, not an anonymous member of the klal, not a member of the herd, but he's a yachid, so Hakadosh Baruch Hu knows him as such. This is superficial. לא תפרד הידיעה והזכירה ממנו כלל. And that's what the Ki yeda’itiv means. If you read the Ish HaHalacha, in the section of Ish HaHalacha, so you'll see where this presentation and understanding of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and his relationship with the world comes from.

והאדם מתקיים לפעמים רק בזכותו של המין משום שהוא נולד ובא מאותו המין והסוג וצורת הכלליות חקוקה בו.

Sometimes a person is human because he was born that way. He was born that way. נולד ובא מאותו המין. His father's human, his mother's human, so by default he's human also. הרי הוא קיים משום השתתפותו בידיעת הכלליות. Again, he's an anonymous just instance of the klal. He's just the byproduct of physical law, of physical laws of conception. הרי הוא בן אדם. In the notation of ben adam. הרי הוא בן אדם, derivative.

בן המין בבחינת הכלל גילוי הדמות המינית והתהליך המורפולוגי של המין. ברם אין בידו שום דבר שיבסס את קיומו בתור פרט ויחיד.

There's nothing in his life that really provides foundation for his existence as a yachid, as an individual, not as an anonymous member or instance of the klal.

שהווייתו תסתייע בו ותוצדק על ידו. נשמתו וכל ישותו יונקות מרשות הכלל.

Everything about him, again, he doesn't have his own sustenance. It's only because of the klal. לא יצר שום דבר ולא חידש ולא פעל כלום. eino mita'amek, again skipping around a little bit,

בחשבונו של העולם הגדול והקטן, אינו בודק את עצמו ביחסו לאלוקים ואדם. וממילא אין שמחים בקיומו ואין מתאבלים על מיתתו. חלוף ועבר כצל וכענן. לא הנחיל כלום לדורות הבאים,

ein reshumo nikar.

אין בידו לא מצוות ולא מעשים טובים ולא זכויות. בעל כרחו נולד ולפיכך חי ומת בעל כרחו.

zehu ish hamin.

ברם ישנו אדם שאיננו זקוק לעזרת האחרים לתמיכת המין במגיע להווייתו.

He's not, he doesn't exist only because he's an instance, because he's an anonymous member.

אדם זה יצא מרשות הזמן ונכנס לרשות עצמו. אינו קיים בזכות המין אלא משום ערכו הפרטי.

His own worth, his own value.

יש בחייו מהפכת היצירה והחידוש ההכרה וההבנה. הוא חי לא משום שנולד,

he doesn't live just by inertia, by default, because he was born, אלא בשם החיים עצמם, he lives a real life,

והעולם הבא אחריהם. הוא תופס את כל ה- והבחירה המסורה בידו

and he understands the choice that is given to him. veyodeia, he knows very well כי שתי דרכים לפניו, that there are two paths in front of him, ובאיזו מהן שיבחר יוליכהו, and he'll be led along the path that he chooses.

הוא נוח ולא נוח הולך ולא עומד עולה ולא יורד. הריהו מתגעגע וכמהה אל קל חי זהו איש אלוקים.

yesod hahashgacha, the Rav continues, נהפך למצווה ממשית וחובת האדם. We think of hashgacha as something Hakadosh Baruch Hu does. So Rav says yeah, but hashgacha is something which is implicitly an obligation upon us. It's an obligation upon us to earn, to merit, to deserve that hashgacha.

הריהו חייב להרחיב את ההשגחה הפרטית החופפת עליו ולהגבירה. הכל תלוי בו ובידו. וכשהאדם יוצר את עצמו בתור איש אלוקים,

when a person creates himself as, again, as an ish elokim, ומפסיק את קיומו בתור איש המין, as opposed to just, again, the as opposed to just the member of the biological class of homo sapiens, הריהו מקיים את המצווה הצפונה בעיקר ההשגחה. Another point here in the Rambam that we're not even skimming the surface but just to sort of recognize something without understanding and and recognize, again, what what it can clarify for us in in a different context. When you look at at the Rambam's Yud Gimmel Ikkarim in Perek Chelek, hayesod ha'asiri, let's say the way we summarize it in Ani Ma'amin:

אני מאמין באמונה שלמה שהבורא יתברך שמו יודע מעשי בני אדם ומחשבותם שנאמר היוצר יחד לבם המבין אל כל מעשיהם. היסוד העשירי שהוא יתעלה יודע מעשי בני האדם ואינו מעלים עין מהם.

So seemingly the hayesod ha'asiri is but yediat Hashem and the Rambam doesn't have in the Yud Gimmel Ikkarim hashgacha. Specifically the Ani Ma'amin that we say every morning, so where is where is the concept of hashgacha? Specifically that the Rambam doesn't have it in in the Yud Gimmel Ikkarim. שהבורא יתברך שמו, again obviously the Rambam didn't write the Ani Ma'amin paraphrase, but in this respect the again it uses the same verb that the Rambam himself used: שהוא יתעלה יודע מעשי בני האדם. But the emes is, the emes is, again, without even without understanding it, but if you look at this Rambam, so what what does the Rambam tell us?

הנכון בעיני שהיא ידיעה בו ממש ירמוז כי ידיעת השם שהיא השגחתו.

yediah by a person doesn't imply anything more than than knowledge. Let's say if if you say that if I say that I know that so and so is in difficult straits, I know that so and so is a nitzrach, it doesn't imply that I'm doing anything about it. It doesn't it doesn't imply that in any way I'm I'm attending to the person, I'm I'm taking care of the person, that I'm making any effort in the person's behalf. It just says that I know, that I'm aware. Okay, because a person is physical and there's knowledge and there's action and knowledge can be the basis for action but knowledge... Knowledge isn't the instrument of action. Says the Ramban without beginning to understand it, but just kachah zeh. I have no

הנכון בעיני שהיא ידיעה בממש יאמר כי ידיעת השם שהיא השגחתו.

The pashtus is that the Rambam means the same thing. When the Rambam says yedi'ah, it's a yedi'ah that includes hashgacha. How do you know that? How do you know that? Go back to the Yesod Ha-Asiri.

היסוד העשירי שהוא יתעלה יודע מעשי בני אדם ואינו מעלים עינו מהם ולא כדעת מי שאמר

and the Yesod Ha-Asiri rejects the view the Rambam is now quoting a pasuk in it says Yechezkel, ולא כדעת מי שאמר עזב השם את הארץ. So the Yesod Ha-Asiri that I'm now presenting to you says the Rambam, that Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu knows ma'asei b'nei Adam is a categorical rejection of that kfira-dike view that עזב השם את הארץ. What does עזב השם את הארץ mean? עזב השם את הארץ means, again, azav means rachmana litzlan abandoned. Abandoned doesn't mean let's say you say rachmana litzlan a husband, a father walks out on his wife and his children. He abandoned them. He's not unaware. He's all too aware of what their predicament is, he just doesn't care. Azav Hashem doesn't imply lack of yedi'ah. Azav implies lack of hashgacha. Again, it's klar from the p'shuto shel mikra if one wants sort of confirmation that that's correct, so again the Ramban comes to our assistance here. Ramban at the end of the famous Ramban at the end of Parshas Bo where he explains how the miraculous makkos established all the yesodos ha-emunah.

מהם כופרים בעיקר ואומרים כי עולם קדמון כחשו ברשע ויאמרו לא הוא.

So one group, they were atheists. ומהם מכחישים בידיעתו הפרטית. Then others said no, Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu, he doesn't know what's happening in this world, he's above that. Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu is in a realm where everything is fixed and unchanging eternally. He doesn't know what's going on here.

ומהם מכחישים בידיעתו הפרטית ואמרו איכה ידע אל ויש דעה בעליון. ומהם,

the third school of kfira says the Ramban, shiyodu bi-yedi'ah, they concede that Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu knows, u-makchishim ba-hashgacha, but they deny that there's any divine providence. ויעשו אדם כדגי הים שלא ישגיח האל בהם meaning they're right about the mashal, the kfira is the nimshal. That's what we were just learning in this Ramban.

ויעשו אדם כדגי הים שלא ישגיח האל בהם ואינו מיחס עונש או שכר

yomru and what's the pasuk that summarizes, that encapsulates this kfira-dike belief who is the makchish b'hashgacha? יאמרו עזב השם את הארץ. Same pasuk that the Rambam was quoting in this Yesod. It's klar, klar, 100% that the Rambam means the same thing. He's also using a yedi'ah the same way the Ramban does, that yedi'ah by Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu also includes the mashma'os of hashgacha and the Rambam does have hashgacha in the Yud Gimmel Ikkarim. Maybe we'll come back for a minute to a very, very yesodostike Ramban in last week's Parsha that we didn't get to last week. Take a look in... גם את הגוי אשר יעבדו טו יד. gam es hagoy,

גם את הגוי אשר יעבדו דן אנכי ואחרי כן יצאו ברכש גדול. טו יד.

A little bit into the Ramban and והרב נתן טעם בספר המדע. You see v'harav nasan,

והרב נתן טעם בספר המדע. לפי שלא גזר על איש ידוע.

Okay, so the question is, Hakadosh Baruch Hu here is decreeing

כי גר יהיה זרעך בארץ לא להם ועבדום וענו אותם ארבע מאות שנה

and then he turns around and says I'm decreeing that it happens and nevertheless וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו דן אנכי. So Hakadosh Baruch Hu decreed that they do it, so how can it be that Hakadosh Baruch Hu then subsequently punishes them?

והרב נתן טעם בספר המדע לפי שלא גזר על איש ידוע וכל אותם המרעים לישראל אילו לא רצה כל אחד מהם הרשות בידו לפי שלא נגזר על איש ידוע.

So the Ramban's answer in Hilchos Teshuva is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu didn't decree which avdo was going to be מרע ומאביד את ישראל. They chose to do it on their own, and anyone who wanted to could and would have, and if there was any such one, remained innocent on the side.

אילו לא רצה כל אחד מהם הרשות בידו לפי שלא נגזר על איש ידוע.

Says the Ramban,

ולא נתקבלו דבריו אצלי, שאפילו גזר שאחד מכל האומות ירע להם בכך וכך וקדם זה ועשה גזירתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא זכה בדבר מצוה.

Says the Ramban, I don't understand. Let's say zol zayn takeh like the Rambam says, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu made a gezeira b'stam that there should be a nachri somewhere out there who should come and should inflict suffering on Yisrael. And again he didn't specify who has to do it. And this person comes and does it, so why isn't he carrying out dvar Hashem, ratzon Hashem? He should get schar! So what that Hakadosh Baruch Hu didn't... wasn't nokeiv b'sheim that this particular person has to do it. Zacha b'dvar mitzvah! U'mah ta'am devarav?

כאשר יצוה המלך שיעשו בני מדינה פלונית מס מן המסים.

The melech says I want such and such to happen.

המצרה שלא נצטוו הדבר על האחר מתעבר לכל תאוות נפשו.

A person who is lazy and says all right, the king didn't say I have to do it, let someone else do it, Adaraba, he is sinning.

והעושה יפיק רצון ממנו. וכל שכן כשהיה אומר וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו שיעבדו הגוי כולו. אבל הטעם כאשר כתבתי שכבר הזכירו רבותינו הענין הזה. אמרו באלה שמות רבה משל למלך שאמר לבנו ייסר פלוני ולא יצערנו. הלך ועשה אף על פי שעשה עמו חנם לא הניח שלא היה מצערו.

So the king wanted his son to do some physical labor. So he said he should go do physical labor for Ploni, but Ploni shouldn't... shouldn't be rough with him. Okay, he should... he should have him work on the construction site, but he shouldn't... he shouldn't mitza'er him. But Ploni took him to the construction site, but also was mitza'er him.

כשנתרצה המלך לבנו גזר על מצערהו הריגה. כך גזר הקדוש ברוך הוא שיהיו משועבדים במצרים עמדו עליהם ושיבדום בחזק. אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא היה לכם לנהוג בהם כעבדים ויעשו צרכי, אני קצפתי מעט והמה עזרו לרעה. עד כאן לשונם.

V'hadavar barur hu,

ששלוח בניהם ליאור אינו בכלל ועבדום וענו אותם אבל היא עקירתם לגמרי. וכן מה שאמר תחלה הבה נתחכמה לו פן ירבה אינו בכלל עבדות ועינוי מלבד מה שהוסיפו בעינוי עצמו וימררו את חייהם בעבודה קשה וגומר. והוא מה שאמר הכתוב וירא את ענינו ואת עמלנו ואת לחצנו.

So says the Ramban that the Mitzrim were punished because they exceeded what had been nigzar. Hakadosh Baruch Hu was gozer avdus and they was befarech. Hakadosh Baruch Hu was gozer avdus and then כל הבן הילוד היאורה תשליכוהו. The same similar to what the Ra'avad says as such a mahalakh in Hilkhos Teshuva as well. That that's why they're being punished because they exceeded what Hakadosh Baruch Hu was gozer. That's mahalakh number one in the Ramban. Mahalakh number two in the Ramban.

ודע והבין כי איש נכתב ונחתם בראש השנה להריגה לא ינקה הלסטים ההורגו בעבור שעשה מה שנגזר.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu ספרי חיים וספרי מתים פתוחים לפניו. Hakadosh Baruch Hu was gozer on Rosh Hashanah that ploni is not only supposed to die but he should be killed this year. The Ramban says that fact will not exonerate the bandit who kills him. הוא רשע בעונו ימות ודמו מיד הרוצח יבוקש. If the the rotzeach does it unknowingly, meaning he doesn't know that it's gezeiras Hashem and he's not doing it to fulfill the gezeira, he's doing it because he's a rasha. So despite the fact that it that it coincides with Hakadosh Baruch Hu's gezeira, it doesn't exonerate him. He has his responsibility, he has his responsibility because what he's doing is judged on the human level. On the human level, he's just a violent person who's committing murder. כאשר תהיה הגזרה על פי נביא. What what happens though if Hakadosh Baruch Hu publicized this gezeira through a navi? Now, says the Ramban, there's a chilluk. יש בעושה אותה דין. And someone goes ahead knowing that there's gezeiras Hakadosh Baruch Hu that this person should be killed. Now the Ramban says it depends.

אם שמע אותה ורצה לעשות רצון בוראו כנגזר אין לו חטא.

He hears from the navi that Hakadosh Baruch Hu said that ploni should be killed, and he l'shem shamayim to carry out retzon Hashem, devar Hashem, to be the instrument to carry out retzon Hashem, kills the person, there's no cheit. And what's more, אבל יש לו זכות בו. However,

אם לא שמע המצוה והרגו לשנאה או לשללו יש עליו העונש כי הוא לחטא נתכוין.

But if he's not aware of the nevuah, so then it's like the previous case. But then the Ramban says even more. Ramban says even if the person knows the nevuah but his kavana is not to be memaleh retzon Hashem, but his kavana is for his own agenda, his own self-aggrandizement, so then he'll be ne'enash. And and he has meforashin, meforasha rayos.

והנה נבוכדנצר שמע כי הנביאים פה אחד קוראים אותו להחריב ירושלים. והוא וכל עמו נצטוו כך מפי הנביא כמו שכתוב הנני שולח ולקחתי את כל משפחות צפון נאם ה' ואל נבוכדנצר מלך בבל עבדי והביאותים על הארץ הזאת ועל יושביה והחרמתים. וכתיב הנני נותן את העיר הזאת ביד הכשדים וביד נבוכדנצר מלך בבל והציתו את העיר באש. ואף על בית המקדש עצמו אמר ונתתי את הבית הזה כשילה. והם היודעים כי מצות השם היא.

They knew it. They knew that there was a nevuah that they were supposed to destroy the Mikdash.

כמו שאמר נבוזראדן לירמיהו ה' אלהיך דבר את הרעה הזאת אל המקום הזה ויבא ויעש ה' כאשר דבר כי חטאתם לה'. ואף על פי כן נענשו הכשדים כולם בסוף.

And nevertheless Nevuchadnetzar they are all, they're all punished. How is that possible? Says the Ramban for the following reason.

והיה זה מפני שני טעמים האחד שגם הוא נתכוין להשמיד כל הארץ להגדיל ממשלתו. כמו שכתוב בו והשבתי גאון זדים וגאות עריצים אשפיל. וכתיב אתה אמרת בלבבך השמים אעלה. וכתיב אעלה על במתי עב אדמה לעליון. וכתיב באומה האומרת בלבבה אני ואפסי עוד.

Even if the person knows that it's retzon Hashem, that it's gezeiras Hashem, and even if the person knows that he has been singled out to be the instrument For him, it’s retzicha. For him, it’s retzicha stam. And that’s pshat by the Mitzriyim. Yes, Hakadosh Baruch Hu was gozer, but A, they exceeded what Hakadosh Baruch Hu was gozer, B, their kavana was not to be mekayem ritzon Hashem's gzeira, their kavana, they had their own evil intentions and their own evil designs. This is mamash mamash very, very strong kashas on the Rambam, especially these pesukim here in Yirmiyahu. So what does the Rambam answer to this? So something again here that whatever, there's a follow-up that we’re not doing, but something extraordinary, mamash mamash extraordinary. Look at the Rambam that the Ramban is discussing, mamash hafleh v'feleh. The end of Perek Vav of Hilchos Teshuva, this is the Rambam’s answer:

והלא כתוב בתורה ועבדום וענו אותם הרי גזר על המצרים לעשות ככה וכתוב במקום אחר וקם העם הזה וזנה אחרי אלהי נכר הארץ הרי גזר על ישראל לעבוד עבודה זרה

says the Rambam

לפיכך לא גזר על איש פלוני הידוע שיהיה הוא הזונה אלא כל אחד ואחד מאותם הזונים שעבדו עבודה זרה אילו לא רצה לעבוד לא היה עובד ולא הודיע הבורא אלא מנהגו של עולם למה זה דומה לאומר העם הזה יהיה בהן צדיקים ורשעים לא מפני זה יאמר הרשע כבר נגזר עליו שיהיה רשע מפני שהודיע הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה שיהיה רשע בישראל כענין שנאמר כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ וכן המצרים כל אחד ואחד מאותם המצירים והמריעים לישראל אילו לא רצה להרע להם הרשות בידו כיון שלא גזר על איש ידוע אלא הודיע שסוף זרעו להשתעבד בארץ לא להם

that's the Rambam’s answer. But there’s something here that there’s a biyur nifla in be'leshon haRambam, mamash a biyur nifla. Listen to how the Rambam answers. It’s more than one. In fact, take the one where he finds the Mitzriyim directly.

וכן המצרים כל אחד ואחד מאותם המצירים והמריעים לישראל אילו לא רצה להרע להם הרשות בידו

now listen

שלא גזר על איש ידוע אלא הודיע שסוף זרעו להשתעבד בארץ לא להם

one more time

שלא גזר על איש ידוע אלא הודיע שסוף זרעו להשתעבד בארץ לא להם

the Rambam should have said שלא גזר על איש ידוע ela bichlal. Rambam is medayek, mamash nevuah, hafleh v'feleh: שלא גזר על איש ידוע ela b'derech klal on the, the Rambam would have said that more elegantly. But that’s the thrust. There’s no right, isn't that what the Ramban was summarizing for us on the Rambam? The gzeira wasn't on a particular mitzri, it was in general. But the Rambam says more than that, much, much, much more than that. The Rambam says bichlal wasn't a gzeira. And the raya again, that’s why he changes the verb. That’s why he changes the verb, l'pichesh lo gozar. It’s not that the Rambam, the contrast between the thesis and the antithesis is not that the gzeira wasn't on a particular yachid, it was in general. The contrast is it wasn't a gzeira on yachidim, it was telling Moshe Rabbeinu, telling Moshe Rabbeinu, not being gozer. Hakadosh Baruch Hu looked into his crystal ball and said this is what's going to be. Now how does that square with bechira? Even not being a gzeira, how does that square with bechira? Just the fact that Hakadosh Baruch Hu tells a human being the future? So doesn't that interfere with the bechira? No, even that doesn't interfere with the bechira because it's no different, let's say I'll tell you right now, I'll tell you right now, I guarantee you that in the calendar year 2018, there're going to be people in the United States who are unemployed. There will not be 100% employment of those who want to work in the year 2018. And I am guaranteeing that. So what does that mean? Does that mean that I'm a navi, does that mean that I'm a faker, does that - don't answer the second question - does that mean what what what what does that mean? So the teretz is, none of the above. There are certain things where you just know from natural whatever they say that, ich veis in capitalism there always has to be a certain amount of unemployment, whatever, but however however you know it there are certain things that even a person can say with absolute certainty not because he knows the future but because he knows how things how things work, how things develop. So you can say, you can say bevadus, you can say bevadus that there will be unemployment in the year 2018. Can you say exactly what the percentage of unemployment is? No, but you can say bevadus, with absolute certainty and absolute certainty that there's going to be unemployment in the year 2018. That doesn't create religious crisis for for anyone in terms of bechira and and yediya. It's quite obvious that that it doesn't. That's what the Rambam is saying, כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ. The Rambam actually gives that example, right? כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ. You can say, you can say bevadus that choose choose your your your favorite your favorite Russian head of state, and you can say he's going to kill some of his political opponents next year. One should not, if you're looking to be matzliach in business, don't sell life insurance to those who are politically opposed to North Korea's to the regime in North Korea. Don't think you're gonna you're gonna make a killing on on that on that on that business. You can say that, you can say that with absolute certainty. It doesn't - it's not encroaching. So Hakadosh Baruch Hu is telling and that's what - and look! What question is the Rambam dealing with beneshima achas with ve'avadum ve'inu osam?

והא כתיב ועבדום וענו אתם הרי גזר על המצריים לעשות רע

v'chasuv what's the other example the Rambam is grappling with here for us? וקם העם הזה וזנה אחרי אלהי נכר הארץ. So did did we think that there's a gezeira? That Hakadosh Baruch Hu was goizer that there should be avoda zara? That we understand there's no gezeira. And the Rambam is dealing with these two these two questions these two instances bachada machta. That's what he says. Look and again he said the same thing when he was talking about the vekam am hazeh. Listen to what what he said there. It's the same idea.

לפי שלא גזר על איש פלוני הידוע שיהיה הוא הזונה אלא כל אחד ואחד מאותן הזונים לעבודה זרה אילו לא רצה לעבוד לא היה עובד ולא הודיע הבורא אלא מנהגו של עולם.

The contrast is not only whether the gezeira is on a yachid or the gezeira is klal. It's whether there was a gezeira, there at all was no gezeira. Now so why do you need both? Again, you need both, you have to have both differences. A, it's not a gezeira, it's only a hoda'ah. But the emes is, if it had been a hoda'ah about a yachid, that would also deprive him of bechira chofshis. If, if I tell you with absolute certainty that Ploni is going to rachmana litzlan be unemployed, so that that taki would either have to be fake or al pi nevuah. So but if it's hoda'ah and not gezeira, and it's hoda'ah about the klal not the yachid, so then that has got nothing to do with bechira chofshis. The same way the same way making the statement that there will be unemployment in the year 2018 is not depriving anyone of their bechira and that is not the cause or the source of rachmana litzlan why anyone will be will be unemployed in 2018.