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Why did Hashem (ה׳) structure day and night with different spiritual forces governing each period? The shiur develops the Ramchal's teaching that evil forces dominate until midnight, then divine illumination gradually strengthens until sunrise renews all creation. Our morning rituals become a cosmic reset - washing hands purifies not just ourselves but the entire world we represent.
This shiur explores the Ramchal's teaching in Derech Hashem (ה׳) about the spiritual structure of day and night. The Ramchal explains that Hashem deliberately ordained nighttime as a period when forces of evil have authority to proliferate, while daytime represents the dominion of good. However, this division is nuanced - evil forces are strongest in the first half of the night until midnight, when divine illumination begins to emanate and gradually weakens these forces until sunrise, when all existence is renewed. The speaker emphasizes that while these cosmic forces exist, true good and evil are primarily results of human choices. The natural framework provides the setting for free will, but our decisions determine the actual manifestation of good or evil in the world. This connects to the concept of 'l'takein olam b'malchut Shaddai' - fixing the world under God's kingship through our actions.
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Derech Hashem - Order of the Day
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