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Will most of humanity ultimately merit the world to come, or will many be eternally lost? The Ramchal's system reveals God's mercy: the majority of one's deeds determines eternal fate, while the minority receives justice in this world. Even those overcome by evil can be purified through Gehenom, ensuring that very few souls are actually annihilated.
This shiur delves into fundamental questions about divine judgment and the ultimate destiny of humanity, based on the Ramchal's Derech HaShem (ה׳). Rabbi Zweig begins by establishing that everything in creation serves to prepare mankind for the world to come, where true good - closeness to God through exercised free choice - can be attained. This preparation has two dimensions: individual perfection through personal deeds, and humanity's collective preparation for transitioning this world into the next. The lecture examines pivotal moments in human history - Adam's sin and the golden calf - which determined humanity's path toward ultimate redemption. Originally, all of humanity (Jews and non-Jews alike) was destined for the world to come, but these failures necessitated the current system of preparation through this finite world. The Jewish people's mission as "a kingdom of priests" is to inspire universal recognition of God's sovereignty.
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Derech HaShem, Section 2, Chapter 2
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