The Unchanging Will and the Human Experience: Understanding Divine Speech

Based on the teachings of Rabbi Gershon Chanokh Henoch Leiner of Radzin

The Distinction Between Human and Divine Promises

In his profound work Sha'ar HaEmunah VeYesod HaChasidut, Rabbi Gershon Chanokh Leiner opens by establishing a fundamental distinction between the nature of human speech and Divine speech. When a human being makes a promise or a statement, their word is vulnerable because their will is subject to change; if a person changes their mind later, they must retract their original words and say something new to reflect their new stance. In stark contrast, the Creator’s word is described in this text as "living and enduring" because His will is absolute and not subject to the fluctuations that characterize human psychology. God does not "change His mind" or withdraw His will; rather, the Divine will is a constant, unceasing force of reality. Therefore, when we perceive a change in how God is treating us—shifting from kindness to judgment, or from protection to exposure—it is not because God’s will has wavered, but because our own position relative to that will has shifted.

The Root of Spiritual Anxiety

This theological principle explains the deep fear experienced by the Patriarch Yaakov, as described in the Talmud (Berachot 4), despite the specific promises made to him by God. Yaakov was afraid that his sins might have altered his relationship with the Divine, causing him to lose the protection he had been promised, which seems to contradict the idea of a faithful God. However, the Radziner Rebbe clarifies that Yaakov understood that while God’s promise is unbreakable, the recipient's capacity to receive that promise can be damaged. A person’s actions determine how they experience the eternal word of God; if they act with integrity, they experience the Divine word as benevolence, but if they act destructively, they may experience that exact same Divine force as judgment or restriction. Thus, spiritual anxiety often stems not from a doubt in God’s power, but from an intuitive recognition that our own alignment plays a critical role in how reality unfolds for us.

The Conditional Nature of "The Vessel"

Rabbi Leiner reinforces this concept by citing the Zohar’s statement that "all of Your words are on condition," using it to reconcile human free will with Divine omnipotence. This does not mean that God is indecisive, but rather that the manifestation of God's will in a person's life depends entirely on the "vessel" that the person creates through their choices. The text explains that at the source of God’s will, there is absolutely no change or variation; the variable is entirely on the side of the human being. Human free will operates within the "limitations of perception," meaning we choose how to perceive and react to the reality God creates. Whether a person attains goodness, wholeness, and bliss depends on whether they choose to align their limited awareness with the infinite will of the Creator.

The Unconscious Service of the Wicked

A profound and challenging aspect of the Radziner Rebbe's teaching is the revelation that even those who actively rebel against God are still ultimately serving His plan. The text asserts that God’s will directs even the wicked, guiding them in ways that transcend their own intellect and rebellious intentions. Historical figures like Pharaoh, Haman, and Esav believed they were acting autonomously to destroy goodness, yet they were unknowingly being used as agents to reveal God’s majesty and deliver salvation. This leads to a tragic irony for the wicked: while they are instrumental in the unfolding of history, they are completely blind to their true role. They do not "see the majesty of God" because they lack the conscious intention to serve Him, leaving them spiritually empty even as they unwittingly help fulfill a Divine purpose.

The Illusion of Damaging the Divine

Sha'ar HaEmunah VeYesod HaChasidut further clarifies a crucial point about the nature of sin: a transgressor never actually damages God’s governance or ruins the Divine plan. The damage caused by sin is strictly internal, limited to the sinner's own perception and their own experience of the world. As the verse in Deuteronomy notes, "The blemish is on His children," which the translation of Onkelos interprets to mean they have corrupted themselves, not Him. From the sinner's perspective, it may look like they have introduced chaos and destruction into the world, but from the higher perspective of Divine governance, the plan remains intact and unblemished. The tragedy of sin is that the sinner breaks their own ability to perceive the good, essentially trapping themselves in a nightmare of their own making while reality itself continues to move toward the good.

"Vomiting Up" Success

Finally, the article addresses the phenomenon of the wicked attaining temporary wealth or power, described by Zofar in the Book of Job as "swallowing riches" only to "vomit them up." Sometimes, the Divine plan requires a specific person to have resources or influence for a moment in time to facilitate a larger outcome. However, because the individual’s intention was self-serving or corrupt, these achievements cannot remain with them eternally; the good results do not "stick" to their soul. Since the positive outcome happened through them but not by their conscious desire to do good, they receive no spiritual reward and eventually lose the physical benefit as well. They are compared to a person who eats but cannot digest the food; the experience passes through them without nourishing their essence, leaving them with no share in the ultimate joy of the reality they helped create.