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Why does God punish the righteous in this world while rewarding the wicked? The shiur develops a framework where God creates separate facilities - rewarding the wicked in this world enables a five-star Gan Eden for the righteous, while punishing the righteous here allows for maximum-security Gehenna to rehabilitate the wicked.
This shiur presents the second interpretation of a fundamental question in divine justice: why God sometimes punishes the righteous and rewards the wicked in this world. The shiur begins with the premise that everyone has both a share in Gan Eden and a share in Gehenna - meaning everyone has rights to both reward and rehabilitation. The core insight develops through a striking analogy to modern correctional facilities. The shiur explains that the sins of a righteous person versus an evil person are qualitatively different, not just quantitatively. A righteous person's sin stems from momentary weakness or lack of control, while an evil person's sin reflects rebellion and systematic rejection of divine will. This fundamental difference creates a structural problem for divine justice.
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
