Q&A: A System of Laws and the Reasons for the Commandments
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
A System of Laws and the Reasons for the Commandments
Question
Hello and blessings, Rabbi.
I have two questions:
- On a number of occasions, the Rabbi has said that apparently there is no possibility of a system of laws of nature that would not produce some degree of destruction and devastation (for example, in the discussion of natural disasters in the second book of the trilogy, and also here on the site in other contexts). I wanted to ask about that very assumption: is it really so difficult for the Holy One, blessed be He, to design a system that would not, along the way, produce damage and disasters? What is the problem with defining some physical constant a little differently and thereby preventing tsunamis and earthquakes?
- As I understand it, the Rabbi does not see value or purpose in engaging in and studying the reasons for the commandments. But according to the Rabbi’s approach, all of Judaism comes down to Jewish law, namely the commands that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded us. If so, why would there not be value in studying and understanding the reasons for the only thing we received from God, and that defines us as Jews?
On this occasion I would like to thank the Rabbi and express my appreciation for his work. I think the Rabbi is not really aware of how far his words reach, how much they influence, and how much they build people up.
In advance, thank you, and happy holiday, Yosef.
Answer
- I didn’t say there is no possibility. I said that the burden of proof that there is such a system of laws lies with the questioner. Otherwise there is no difficulty. For mathematical reasons, I do indeed suspect that there is no such system (though I have no proof). Note that what you want is a rigid system of laws that will give you everything that happens in our world except for the bad events (the suffering). It is hard to believe that there is such a system. Any change will bring changes in other outcomes as well, and then the question returns whether that is what the Holy One, blessed be He, wants this system to produce (He wants a world like ours, for His own reasons). In the final analysis, the challenge to the Holy One, blessed be He, on the basis of evil in the world requires proving things that I do not see how one could prove.
- I didn’t understand the argument. Indeed, Judaism is only Jewish law, but not its reasons. Beyond that, the search for reasons is hopeless. We are talking about one speculation or another, and they almost never persuade me. If you had a way to find convincing reasons, I’d be happy to hear about it. It could certainly be interesting (though I’m not sure it is all that important).
Gladly.