- Purpose of Punishment
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- Moshe Ben-Chaim
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- Question: I understand that
today we are under the punishment that was told in Devarim "And
if you do not follow my word i will turn my back" Meaning God
would remove his hashgacha and we would be left under laws of nature.
Isnt that better for us? We behave so horribly that it seems better
not to have god's hashgacha. After all we'd be punished harshly if we
were under hashgacha.
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- Mesora: Our existence without
hashgacha (Divine Providence) will demonstrate to the other nations
that our entire existence is determined by G-d. Meaning, all of the
horrible punishments outlined in Devarim would not normally happen to
another people not aligned with G-d. When the other nations see our
utter destruction, as stated in Megilas Eicha, it is a testament to
the words of the Torah, specifically, the words of the tochacha, the
rebuke, that they now are coming true.
- So even our downfall is a testament to the truth of Torah. We are
not left to the laws of nature when the people sin as a whole, perhaps
only by individuals.
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