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Posted on June 11, 2002 By Rabbi Yaakov Feldman | Series: | Level:

Now, as we’d already said 1 the creation of the material world began with the Transcendent Forces, out of which emitted all physical things and their specific qualities. For there is nothing in the material world — either major of minor — that isn’t somehow rooted in some element of those Forces 2.

That being in place, G-d Himself then oversees each thing along the lines He created them, in that He first oversees the Transcendent Forces and everything that results from them, then He oversees the angels 3 and sees to it that they carry out their duties 4.

Footnotes:

1. See 1:5:3.

2. Ramchal cites the realm in which the transfer of things from the Transcendent Forces to the material world takes place, as well as the process involved, in other works. See Adir Bamarom 1, p. 222 and 2, p. 71; and Kitzur HaKavanah p.28

3. See 1:5:2.

4. See note 1 to 1:5:3 which refers to G-d’s on-going interactions with the Transcendent Forces and the angels

Ramchal’s over-all aim here is to underscore the idea presented in 2:1:1 that since “every single being — celestial or earthly — was created to play a specific and important part in the ultimate goal of the universe”, G-d thus “decided to oversee each thing” including the Transcendent Forces and the angels “in order to keep it on the specific course He wanted it to follow”.


Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has translated and commented upon “The Gates of Repentance”, “The Path of the Just”, and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers). His works are available in bookstores and in various locations on the Web.