Let’s say I eat a ton of chocolate and get a big stomach ache, should I think that I got the stomach ache because I was stupid and ate all that food, or should I think that God gave me that stomach ache?
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3Why set this up as a binary?– DeuteronomyCommented Jul 22 at 18:09
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2How about "God gave you stomach ache because you were acting stupid"?– Al BerkoCommented Jul 31 at 19:50
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God rules thru nature, you got a stomach ache for eating the chocolate as a direct result, not a specific punishment. Then Hashem will punish you again at a later time for being a fool, glutton, and harming your body– MordechaiCommented Jul 31 at 20:20
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2 Answers
Last Mishna of Berachot:
חיב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שהוא מברך על הטובה... בכל מדה ומדה שהוא מודד לך הוי מודה לו במאד מאד
Man is obligated to bless Hashem for the bad that happens to him just as much as the good... For each and every last measure Hashem metes out to you, be exceedingly exceedingly grateful.
Everything is from Hashem.
See Tanya, Iggeret Hakodesh 25, based on the Baal Shem Tov's teachings, which explains how if a person does something wrong, and suffers as a result, the person is indeed punished, but that is not to say that the suffering was not decreed from heaven. If he had not done anything wrong, he would have suffered some other way.
See also Chulin 7b as a common reference in the Oral Torah, and for the Written Torah Mishlei 20:24:
A man's steps are from the Lord, for man understands nothing of his way.
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But if I sin I can’t say it was Gd who made me do it (or can I?). So why is this case different. I know this is part of a broader discussion of free will but I was just narrowing in on this one case Commented Jul 22 at 19:23
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@CuriousYid as you can imagine, this is discussed and debated extensively. The way many hold is that the only thing the person actually did was decide to eat the box of chocolates and Hashem caused it to happen, as well as the consequences. They would say yes, God, the only source and cause, gave them a stomach ache. Another important nekuda is that God is the only God, and Ein Od Milvado. Where else are happenings going to come from? Commented Jul 23 at 11:42
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2See also Chovos Halevavos, Shaar Habitachon, on what happens if someone does something destructive to himself.– MichoelRCommented Jul 25 at 18:31
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1@AlBerko the answer to that is rather complicated, but off topic. Either way, it is allow on this site to bring legitimate, if controversial, views, so I don't think anything is wrong with what I've done. FWIW, I am a big Eilu v'Eilu guy, and feel contradictions in hashkafa aren't usually impossible to resolve. Also, I notice that essays tend to attract very little reception, but short to the point answers serve the public here better Commented Jul 31 at 20:24
The answer of Rabbi Kaii is missing an additional point: we live in the world created by G-d, which follows His laws. Eating too much chocolate violates His laws of following balanced diet. The fact that one gets stomach ache is not a punishment, but a warning built into Creation of an irreparable body failure due to lack of proper nutrients if such behavior continues. Therefore, (I should quote R. Kaii's answer)...
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"His laws of following balanced diet", is it a new tractate I was missing?– Al BerkoCommented Jul 31 at 19:35
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1@AlBerko sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah,_Human_Dispositions. its a tractate in the 14 volume mishna not the 6 volume Commented Jul 31 at 20:27
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@Mordechai Rambam exploited his authority to add his own views, just like sefaria.org.il/… So my objection is to "His laws". God did not elaborate on a "balanced diet".– Al BerkoCommented Jul 31 at 20:44
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1@AlBerko Manna was completely digested. No food is completely digested as the body does not need certain elements in the food. Stop being paleocritical. Rabbinic sources do not have a periodic table from chemistry.– Y DJCommented Aug 1 at 14:29