The Mesilas Yesharim says: "It is the attribute of mercy which causes the reverse of the three things we have mentioned. That is, it provides that the sinner be given time, and not be wiped out as soon as he sins; that the punishment itself not involve utter destruction; and that the gift of repentance be given to sinners with absolute lovingkindness, so that the rooting out of the will which prompted the deed be considered a rooting out of the deed itself."
Does that mean that the concept punishment is not at all a manifestation of Rachamim, i.e. there as no aspect of rachamim in the fact that punishment helps the person (kapara etc...)
Midas ha'Rachamim
Started by
achasshoalti
, Mar 13 2012 04:34 PM
1 reply to this topic
#2
Rabbi Shapiro
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Posted 09 April 2012 - 07:18 PM
No, it doesn't mean that. it means that even with those considerations, the Midas Hadin - that is, plain justice - demands that a person who does a sin should be wiped off the world, even if it is a כפרה etc. (As an aside, See Rashi Sanhedrin [10a] מלקות במקום מיתה עומדת - דכיון דעבר על אזהרת בוראו ראוי הוא למות)The Mesilas Yesharim says: "It is the attribute of mercy which causes the reverse of the three things we have mentioned. That is, it provides that the sinner be given time, and not be wiped out as soon as he sins; that the punishment itself not involve utter destruction; and that the gift of repentance be given to sinners with absolute lovingkindness, so that the rooting out of the will which prompted the deed be considered a rooting out of the deed itself."
Does that mean that the concept punishment is not at all a manifestation of Rachamim, i.e. there as no aspect of rachamim in the fact that punishment helps the person (kapara etc...)
