Sunday, June 28, 2015

Hashgacha Pratis Or Hashgacha Klalis

לזכות ידיד נפשי הר"ר אליעזר זאב בן דבורה וכל ב"ב לברכה והצלחה בכל מעשי ידיהם

The Rogochover Gaon explored the theological question of whether there is hashgacha pratis for goyim or just hashgacha klalis - general less personal and specific Divine supervision? Here are some of his insights:

The Rogochovers premise is that with regard to goyim there is no halachic concept called tzibbur. We see this in the gemara [Nazir 61b], that no matter how many of them there are they are considered distinct individuals. "יצא עובד כוכבים וכו' שאין לו קהל". That is why the Mishna [R"H 16a] says בארבעה פרקים העולם נידון  - Four times a year the world is judged etc. ובחג נידונים על המים - On Succos they are judged on water. First the mishna uses the singular form נידון - and later the plural form נידונין  - Why the switch?

The judgement on water is on Sukkos when we bring 70 korbanos corresponding to the nations of the world [who are in need atonement so that they merit rain - Rashi Succah 55b]. These nations are many distinct individuals and thus we use the plural form.

The gemara in Sanhedrin clearly implies that those who are קוויו - actively hope to Hashem, merit personal Divine supervision while those who don't are only supervised in a general way - השגחה כללית.     

This question relates to the halachic issue of whether a goy has personal ownership over the korban he offers in the beis hamikdash. What would be the halacha if a korban of a goy is brought במחשבת שלא לשמו לשם שינוי בעלים - for a different owner. If the korban loses its personal attachment to the owner immediately subsequent to the הקדשה to the beis hamikdash and adopts a general title of קרבן בן נח then we cannot apply to this korban the concept of שלא לשם בעלים because it is no longer his personal korban anyway. The resolution of the issue would depend on whether a goy has hashgacha pratis - he is considered a distinct individual in which case his korban remians his and there would be a problem of שינוי בעלים. Or do we say that his השגחה is כללית and then we would have to say that in the Torah his dinim are established based on the premise that he appears before הקב"ה in a general way without the special personal supervision which the Jews have.  Thus - there would be no halacha of שינוי בעלים.

This question requires much further study and bl"n we will explore further bez"H!


[HaGaon HaRogochovee Vi-talmudo Pages 46-47]