Part 2: "Divine Providence"
Chapter 6: "The System Behind Divine Providence"
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We've said it before but it bears repetition: G-d is the only utterly free
being. Everyone and everything else is either only partially free, or not at
all. We're to recall, though, that G-d elected to *restrict* His utter
freedom when interacting with us, for otherwise we simply couldn't interact
with Him (i.e., we couldn't bear the might of His full Being).
Thus, G-d could be said to "play with a handicap" of sorts when He interacts
with us, and to use less-than-Divine means to His end. Why? In order to give
us a chance to understand "the rules of the game", if you will.
As such, G-d is said to govern everything in the universe -- from the most
subtle of spiritual phenomena to the coarsest of material ones -- much the
way we govern ourselves. He's therefore said to have established Heavenly
courts, deliberating bodies, and tribunals in classical terms, with judges,
witnesses, advocating attorneys and prosecutors.
But it would help us to term them "committees" and "boards of directors", for
our purposes. And to speak of advocates for or opponents to the various
ideas, individuals, and processes under consideration. It will also help us
to recall the fact that decisions made in our experience are either made by
the committee, the chairperson, or both; and that they're based 010on the
thrust and parry that goes on there. That model follows through in the
Heavens as well.
We'll see how all that plays itself out in our interactions with G-d.
This series is dedicated to the memory of Yitzchak Hehrsh ben Daniel,
and Sarah Rivka bas Yaakov Dovid.
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