- Sections
- Ein Ayah
The Advantage of Good Over Bad
Considering Hashem’s attribute of goodness, only good things should be happening.
Gemara: Never did a positive promise turn into something negative except …
Ein Ayah: Things have an intrinsic purpose in regard to their being a means of getting to a greater goal. It is intrinsically worthwhile to act toward the prospect of positive things. Negative things lack intrinsic value, although they have value for being an eventual conduit for the development of future good.
Considering Hashem’s attribute of goodness, only good things should be happening. On the other hand, the greatest good is the ethical good, which requires people to be fully good internally. Therefore, it is necessary for there to be real goodness and justice, so that man not only receive good but be good.
Since the goal is that there should be goodness in a broad manner, when Hashem pledges to provide something good, there is an expectation of two positive things: the coming of the good thing and preparation for an even better thing in the future. Sometimes a person’s circumstances change and the good that was foreseen as being able to provide future good no longer is destined to bring that state. Still, though, the positive pledge has value for its own sake, and Hashem can find other means to arrive at the ultimate good. Therefore, the direct good will still occur for its own intrinsic value. In this way, there is rationale for the rule that pledged good generally will continue to be kept, for its own sake, even when there is reason to suspend it.
Ein Ayah: Things have an intrinsic purpose in regard to their being a means of getting to a greater goal. It is intrinsically worthwhile to act toward the prospect of positive things. Negative things lack intrinsic value, although they have value for being an eventual conduit for the development of future good.
Considering Hashem’s attribute of goodness, only good things should be happening. On the other hand, the greatest good is the ethical good, which requires people to be fully good internally. Therefore, it is necessary for there to be real goodness and justice, so that man not only receive good but be good.
Since the goal is that there should be goodness in a broad manner, when Hashem pledges to provide something good, there is an expectation of two positive things: the coming of the good thing and preparation for an even better thing in the future. Sometimes a person’s circumstances change and the good that was foreseen as being able to provide future good no longer is destined to bring that state. Still, though, the positive pledge has value for its own sake, and Hashem can find other means to arrive at the ultimate good. Therefore, the direct good will still occur for its own intrinsic value. In this way, there is rationale for the rule that pledged good generally will continue to be kept, for its own sake, even when there is reason to suspend it.

The Benefits of Torah and of Eating
Various Rabbis | 5770

Flexibility Only Upon the Flexible
Various Rabbis | 5774

The Benefits of Admonishing Even When Unheeded
Ein Aya Shabbat 5,17
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Adar 5783

Truth is Inside-Out But Justice: Outside-In
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Adar 5783

Various Rabbis
Various Rabbis including those of of Yeshivat Bet El, such as Rabbi Chaim Katz, Rabbi Binyamin Bamberger and Rabbi Yitzchak Greenblat and others.

Good and Evil Depend on the Actions
5777 Tammuz 22

Responsibilities Based on Different Modes of Influence
Sivan 26 5777

Unfulfilled Raffle Prize – part I
5777 Tammuz 22

Emotional Sensitivity to Distress
Tammuz 9 5777
Lighting the Chanukah Candles
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | Kislev 5768

Some Light Chanukah Questions
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | 20 kislev 5769

Lighting the candles on Friday night
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | 5772

Flying High - A Traveler’s Guide to Channukah
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | Kislev 5768

Our Brothers - The Entire House of Israel
Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair | Kislev 4 5784
Judging Favorably – Even the Good Ones
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 11 Kislev 5784

How the Four Places Called "Zion" are All the Same
Rabbi Moshe Tzuriel | 4 Kislev 5784
