21 days ago
2.48: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 2 Chapter 3 Part 1-2
Rabbi Shulman explains that Hashem intentionally designed avodat Hashem with enormous diversity—across mitzvot, life circumstances, and even moment-to-moment emotional states—so that our relationship with Hashem can be multi-faceted rather than one-dimensional. Each person receives a unique “portion” of the overall spiritual work, and judgment is therefore individualized with exact precision. Rabbi Shulman then connects this to the Ramchal’s model of hishtalshelut: our earthly challenges originate in higher spiritual “roots,” and human bechirah can repair (or damage) those roots, affecting the world below.