Description: Chapter 4 - 01
Derech Hashem
Section II – Chapter 4 – 01
The Ramchal now goes on to define the roles of Klal Yisrael and the nations of the world. This discussion is very relevant to Rosh Hashanah as he himself points out.
Of the deeper concepts within Hashem’s guidance of this world, is the topic of Klal Yisrael and the nations. From a physical standpoint we are the same, yet from the Torah’s perspective there’s a great and fundamental difference between us, and we are as different as two species. Let’s examine how they are alike and how they are different.
Adam Harishon before he sinned was on a super elevated level, as we explained in Section I. If he wouldn’t have sinned, he could have attained true perfection, and his purpose would have been to rise, level after level, ever closer to Hashem, and to have children so that they can all share in the beauty of being close to Hashem. Hashem had predetermined how his children would progress, and they would develop into different clans, with leaders and followers, branching off into different missions, all assigned with the utmost exactness.
When Adam sinned, he fell from his level, and darkness became a part of him to a great degree. With his fall, all of mankind fell with him, and can’t achieve the elevated level of existence that he enjoyed. He had children in this capacity, on this low level. Nevertheless, it was still possible for any of his descendants to achieve greatness, as it was within their potential.
Hashem opened a door at that point in history, for a limited time, for any one of mankind to make a choice and become great, and strive for that elevated spiritual level that Adam Harishon had been on. There was a time limit on this, as there is a time limit for all opportunity, just as we have a time limit – the length of our lives. During this time period, which was from Adam Harishon until the Dor Haflagah, mankind was learning to define itself and its nature. Each nascent nation was developing and acquiring certain characteristics which were unique to itself. At the point of the Dor Haflagah, Hashem closed the door, and at that point each one of the nations were solidified, and the attributes with which they had defined themselves became their eternal attributes, so that all the descendants of that nation had those characteristics.
Of all those nations, only Avraham Avinu perfected himself to a point where his descendants, the nation which would come from him, were given the ability to achieve the greatest level of perfection. It was then that the 70 nations were established, each one with a unique identity, and Klal Yisrael with its elevated level of existence.
After this door was closed, what happened after was simply the roots developing into trees and branches, but no new nations or identities or missions were formed and assigned. Hashem in His kindness allowed any descendant of any nation to choose and become a part of Avraham’s lineage if they want. This was when Hashem appointed Avraham Avinu, ‘Av Hamon Goyim,’ he was the father of all geirim, and Hashem promised him, ‘vi’nivrichu bechah kol mishpachos ha’adamah,’ all the nations of the world will find blessing within you. However, if they don’t choose, they will remain in their respective nations.
After Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim, the nation was further defined by 600,000 different branches, or families, who then inherited Eretz Yisrael. Each one of those families is an independent branch of the Jewish nation, and all that followed fall under one of those branches. Hashem gave the Torah to those 600,000 people, but He granted another kindness to the nations of the world, and gave them another chance at the point of Kabbalas HaTorah. If they would have chosen to accept the Torah, they could have merited the same fortune as Klal Yisrael, and be given the chance to achieve true perfection. However, they refused, and at that point their fate was sealed forever, with only individuals having the ability to transfer into Klal Yisrael through conversion.
Derech Hashem
Section II – Chapter 4 – 01
The Ramchal now goes on to define the roles of Klal Yisrael and the nations of the world. This discussion is very relevant to Rosh Hashanah as he himself points out.
Of the deeper concepts within Hashem’s guidance of this world, is the topic of Klal Yisrael and the nations. From a physical standpoint we are the same, yet from the Torah’s perspective there’s a great and fundamental difference between us, and we are as different as two species. Let’s examine how they are alike and how they are different.
Adam Harishon before he sinned was on a super elevated level, as we explained in Section I. If he wouldn’t have sinned, he could have attained true perfection, and his purpose would have been to rise, level after level, ever closer to Hashem, and to have children so that they can all share in the beauty of being close to Hashem. Hashem had predetermined how his children would progress, and they would develop into different clans, with leaders and followers, branching off into different missions, all assigned with the utmost exactness.
When Adam sinned, he fell from his level, and darkness became a part of him to a great degree. With his fall, all of mankind fell with him, and can’t achieve the elevated level of existence that he enjoyed. He had children in this capacity, on this low level. Nevertheless, it was still possible for any of his descendants to achieve greatness, as it was within their potential.
Hashem opened a door at that point in history, for a limited time, for any one of mankind to make a choice and become great, and strive for that elevated spiritual level that Adam Harishon had been on. There was a time limit on this, as there is a time limit for all opportunity, just as we have a time limit – the length of our lives. During this time period, which was from Adam Harishon until the Dor Haflagah, mankind was learning to define itself and its nature. Each nascent nation was developing and acquiring certain characteristics which were unique to itself. At the point of the Dor Haflagah, Hashem closed the door, and at that point each one of the nations were solidified, and the attributes with which they had defined themselves became their eternal attributes, so that all the descendants of that nation had those characteristics.
Of all those nations, only Avraham Avinu perfected himself to a point where his descendants, the nation which would come from him, were given the ability to achieve the greatest level of perfection. It was then that the 70 nations were established, each one with a unique identity, and Klal Yisrael with its elevated level of existence.
After this door was closed, what happened after was simply the roots developing into trees and branches, but no new nations or identities or missions were formed and assigned. Hashem in His kindness allowed any descendant of any nation to choose and become a part of Avraham’s lineage if they want. This was when Hashem appointed Avraham Avinu, ‘Av Hamon Goyim,’ he was the father of all geirim, and Hashem promised him, ‘vi’nivrichu bechah kol mishpachos ha’adamah,’ all the nations of the world will find blessing within you. However, if they don’t choose, they will remain in their respective nations.
After Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim, the nation was further defined by 600,000 different branches, or families, who then inherited Eretz Yisrael. Each one of those families is an independent branch of the Jewish nation, and all that followed fall under one of those branches. Hashem gave the Torah to those 600,000 people, but He granted another kindness to the nations of the world, and gave them another chance at the point of Kabbalas HaTorah. If they would have chosen to accept the Torah, they could have merited the same fortune as Klal Yisrael, and be given the chance to achieve true perfection. However, they refused, and at that point their fate was sealed forever, with only individuals having the ability to transfer into Klal Yisrael through conversion.