A free account is required to play audio and download files.
No community start suggestion yet.
How can Hashem (ה׳) maintain perfect justice while also exercising pure mercy? The Ramchal's framework shows that divine justice is self-imposed and can be overridden when divine wisdom deems appropriate, like Hashem creating a tunnel for King Menashe's rejected repentance. This explains how spiritual connection determines whether we live in a world where righteousness prevails or anxiety dominates.
Rabbi Zweig begins this Derech HaShem (ה׳) shiur by establishing that while Hashem rules with perfect justice ("shevet mishor"), this justice system is actually self-imposed by God and can be overridden when divine wisdom deems it appropriate. He explains that God's punishment system originates from love, like a parent disciplining a child for their ultimate benefit, not from vengeance or cruelty. The Rav emphasizes two crucial corollaries of this principle: first, that punishment is naturally alleviated because God's love tempers His judgment with mercy, and second, that God can completely suspend the rules of justice and operate with pure mercy alone. This is exemplified in the pasuk "I will have mercy upon whom I shall have mercy," recited during the Yamim Noraim. He illustrates this concept with the Gemara (גמרא)'s account of King Menashe, whose repentance was initially rejected by the heavenly court, prompting Hashem to create a direct tunnel bypassing the system of justice.
Looking for the full summary?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Derech HaShem Part 2, Chapter 3, pages 169-175
Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Dedicate a Shiur in Mussar
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
Up Next in this Series
What makes the Ramchal's approach to Jewish philosophy uniquely powerful and systematic? The shiur establishes that his three major works - Mesilat Yesharim, Derech Hashem, and Da'at Tevunos - form a coherent system built on fundamental concepts of divine order (seder) versus chaos. Understanding this framework of moving from generalities to specifics allows us to derive practical life applications from deep philosophical principles.
What does it mean to have emunah in God's existence? The Ramchal's six fundamentals distinguish between yedi'ah (knowledge) and emunah (internalization) - emunah isn't belief but making knowledge real within ourselves. His concept of "mitzius" (finding) reframes all existence as windfall rather than entitlement, since God creates by choice, not necessity.
Why is flattery worse than idolatry? The shiur explains that flattery transforms evil (ra) into good (tov) by making someone internalize that which is false as something positive. This mobilizes a person's yetzer tov—their instinct for good—to pursue evil, using their deepest forces for self-preservation to destroy themselves. The ultimate antithesis of creation's purpose.
Why is a flatterer denied entry before God? The shiur builds on Rashi's insight that the hasidah (stork) is non-kosher because it does "favors for its friends"—which is precisely the problem: with friends you don't do favors, you give yourself. Flattery means giving things, words, and actions while withholding emotional connection in order to maintain control, and this is fundamentally destructive to relationships—with people and with God.
Why do we deny our strengths and focus obsessively on our flaws? The shiur develops a yesod that tznius means total ownership of who you are—being secure enough in your ma'alos that you don't need others' approval. Adar's avodah is to make a list of your accomplishments and strengths, because owning your ma'alos is what enables real growth in Torah and tefillah.
Why is the holiday named after Haman's lottery, the most insignificant detail? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod: self-centeredness destroys happiness because whatever we feel entitled to can never satisfy us. Haman's declaration that "all this means nothing to me" when he sees Mordechai reveals the ultimate consequence of egocentrism—total emptiness despite having everything.
