(translated by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times)

Rav Yerucham Levovitz zt”l, of course, was the Mashgiach par excellence of the Torah world. His Mussar shmuessim are veritable classics in the Yeshiva world. They are not merely read – they are studied in great depth. Rav Yerucham’s method was to build entire edifices of Mussar concepts with maamarim building upon maamarim. What follows is a translation of one of his maamarim on this week’s Parsha, Shlach. Some will criticize the idea of attempting such a rendering into English. Nonetheless, it will introduce this giant of Mussar to others who have not yet been exposed to his system. On the week of his yahrtzeit, this maamar is being presented.

In Parshas Shlach the episode of the meraglim appears. Many have the question how it could be that the Meraglim could go off the path so significantly. Aside from it being an exposition of hashgacha pratis and “chance occurrences” in this Maamar of Rav Yerucham Levovitz zt”l, that question is also addressed.

Hashgacha Pratis and “Random” Occurences

ALL THINGS ARE INTER-RELATED AND HAVE PURPOSE

There is not one thing in creation whose existence and reality is unique to itself and itself alone. – [there is] nothing that is dependent solely upon itself and itself alone.
There is nothing in creation that is set apart from all else. There is nothing that exists just for itself. Every creature, every event in the world, all that is found – possess a pre-planned purpose from the very outset.

Indeed, we find that even the bird and fowl have a specific place in the grand scheme of things. Our sages (Bereishis Rabbah 79:6) tell of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai alav hashalom when he exited from his cave.

A trapper was hunting birds. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai heard a Bas Kol emanate saying, “Dimos!” And the bird escaped.

Another bird was being hunted. [Rabbi Shimon] heard a Bas Kol emanate and say, “Safkulah.” It was captured. He said, “A bird – were it not for Divine action, – would not be captured – how much more so regarding the soul of a human being.”

ALL THAT HAPPENS IS FROM ABOVE

There is no “chance occurrence” in this world. Something that was not anticipated at the outset is not in our reality. All that happens – transpires from Above. Not only that, but this occurrence was not alone and singular. Each and every event is subsumed within a general all-encompassing system.

Every event, however small it may be, whether it concerns an inanimate object or a vegetable, whether it concerns a living organism, or a person who speaks and certainly with a human who has achieved shleimus – all these occurrences transpired with very detailed Hashgacha – oversight.

They were destined from the very beginning for a specific task in the totality of creation. It is within the rubric of the entirety of the Midas HaDin – the attribute of Justice – in which the world was created.

MAZEL

This system is called “Mazel” or the “Divine system.” In truth, the simple meaning of the word “system” relates to a system of organization and initiation from the beginning, organized with purpose. Anything that happens afterward is a repercussion of the original system of organization. This is what is called the “Divine System.”

MAZAL AFFECTS A PERSON’S DISPOSITION

We find in Chazal (Shabbos 156a) various generalities in the future disposition of an individual depending upon the day he was born. One who was born on a Sunday is apt to be [extreme either as] a great person or [as] a head of a band of thieves. One born on a Monday is apt to be angry etc. One’s birth on a specific day or another effects small changes in the general tendencies of a person. The Talmud there further states:

“Rabbi Chanina said to him, “The mazal of the day does not cause things to transpire. Rather it is the mazal of the hour that effects things.”

Rashi explains that there are seven constellations that effect the hours. This is the extent of how pre-planned things are from the outset – from the day a person is born all of the events of his life have been decided.

HOW FAR IT EXTENDS

The matter is fascinating – the extent that the future of a person is set to such a detailed degree!

CHANGES

Chazal tell us (Rosh Hashana 16b) that four things can rip up a negative decree of a person: Change of a name, change of location, an illness or some other great struggle that a person finds himself, If he changes his name or he moves his home, he is saved! But how does one escape from a tzarah – a great difficulty?

But this is the secret of the matter.

For in the very beginning of creation, man’s future and every event in his life were already determined and established with the essence of detail. It was written at the start with his name and his residence, replete with each and every detail possible.

It was [also] established as to whether a decree will change and what aspect of it will change, whether it will occur in his residence, etc.

[When this occurs, it is pre-ordained] that he is already another person, and on this person the decree was not made! The matters are not set in stone, they can vary in its Creation. Even a name or a place hold significance and value in the system of Creation and how it runs. With one small change in a detail, his relationship with the entire structure of the system is changed.

DEBATE IN THE TALMUD

Now there is a debate in the Gemorah (Shabbos 156a) as to whether the Jewish nation is subject to the influence of astrology or not subject to its influence. As it states there:
It was stated: Rabbi Chanina says: A constellation makes one wise and a constellation makes one wealthy, and there is mazel for the Jewish people. Rabbi Yocḥanan said: There is no mazel for the Jewish people.

CAN STILL BE CHANGED – EVEN ACC. TO THE MAZEL OPINION

Now even Rabbi Chanina who says that there is mazel for the Jewish people, understands that they are under a special hashgacha pratis – however, they too are under a pre-set mazal and there are many ways in which a person can be saved. It is like the analogy given by the Ibn Ezra in Shmos 33:21.

THE ANALOGY

“Imagine that the servants are like horses travelling along the path. They run not to damage to to do good – that is their nature. Imagine that on the road there is a blind man, who is unaware of what the horses do – when they pass and whether it is to the right or the left. He relies on an individual who can see and who knows their nature. The other will watch him – if they run along on one side he will lead the blind man on the other side. The path of the horse will not change, but the blind man will be saved.”

But according to the opinion that there is no mazal for the Jewish people, according to him – those that observe the Torah – whenever they observe it, they merit to be completely outside of the orbit of Mazel. They are above it, having no sustenance from it.

It is like the examples cited there in the Gemorah in Shabbos regarding certain Chaldeans who gazed at the stars and predicted evil tidings. Rabbi Akiva and Shmuel, were entirely unconcerned about the dire predictions on account of “ain mazal l’yisroel – Jews are not subject to Mazel” – the entire time that they are observing the precepts of the Torah. For it is wholly possible to switch mazel.

YITZCHOK AVINU SWITCHED THE MAZEL

This is the essence of what we find regarding Yitzchok, as it states (Bereishis 25:21), “And Yitzchok davened for her.” Our sages have said (Sukkah 14a):
Why are the prayers of the righteous likened to an atar – a pitchfork? To say to you:

“Just as this pitchfork overturns the grain on the threshing floor from place to place, so too, do the prayers of the righteous overturn the mind of the Holy One, Blessed be He, from the attribute of strict justice to the attribute of mercy.”

One thing that clearly emerges from all the topics that we have brought relates to “chance” – there is no such reality in the world. Everything is arranged, set and determined at the beginning.

THE QUESTION

If so, the question truly stands out. There are many things that occur in the world that, at first glance, appear to be by random chance. [Why do they appear that way?]
What is the answer to this question?

THE ANSWER

The Ramchal has discussed this matter at length in his work “Daas Tevunos.” There he discusses the issue of Hester Panim – the Concealed Nature of Hashem. There he discusses the matter of the Light that concealed itself and lessened, allowing for heresy and Apikorsus. This is the method of conduct in the nature of dichotomy between good and evil whether to achieve merit or to be judged unfavorably. This method of conduct is called, “the conduct of justice.”

TEVA – IS BY NATURE MISLEADING

We have already explained regarding the matter of “nature.” Its entire essence is one of misleading. The verse (Dvarim 4:19) states:

“And lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, which Hashem assigned to all peoples under the entire heaven, and be drawn away to prostrate yourselves before them and worship them.”

Rashi explains: “Which Hashem assigned to them as deities; He did not prevent them from erring after them; rather, He caused them to slip with their futile speculations.”

This is in regard to all matters of teva – nature. When people comment regarding all that transpires that there was no rhyme or reason, that there is no hashgacha and that they came by chance – this was all to provide a place where one can err. Just like in regard to the attribute of justice one perceives nature.

THERE IS NOTHING RANDOM

As far as mere random acts, as we explained, there is no such reality at all in Creation. All is arranged and set and pre-determined from the very beginning. If it appears to a person chance and he says they are mere random acts – this is certainly the idea of “erring in it” – a fundament of how the principal of justice works. From the angle of the attribute of justice – there must be a place wherein one can err.

CONCLUSION

In short, when people see and observe all that transpires as clarifying hashgacha pratis – then this is called open Divine Revelation to us. For everyone sees the revelation of Hashem’s conduct and not that of another, heaven forbid.

However, when one sees everything as “mere happenings” (certainly everything is from His hashgacha, for there is no other Chas v’shalom), then these matters are hidden with a cover of “chance occurrence” – with a cover of “nature,” with a cover of whatever types of errors that they may be – this is, in reality, a revelation of His exalted Name – in hester panim – a Hidden Manner.

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