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Some Rabbinic Concepts of Evil

Philosophy, Torah/Talmud, UTJ Events

by Rabbi Wayne Allen

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.

Some Rabbinic Concepts of Evil with Rabbi Wayne Allen

Recorded August 1, 2023 at a meeting of MORASHAH, the rabbinic fellowship of UTJ

Rabbi Allen the is author of Thinking about Good and Evil: Jewish Views from Antiquity to Modernity (JPS Essential Judaism, 2021)

Source texts referenced in this video:

Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 7a discussion of theodicy including “מִפְּנֵי מָה יֵשׁ צַדִּיק וְטוֹב לוֹ, וְיֵשׁ צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ, יֵשׁ רָשָׁע וְטוֹב לוֹ, וְיֵשׁ רָשָׁע וְרַע לוֹ? Why is there  a righteous person for whom good things happen, a righteous person for whom bad things happen, a wicked person for whom good things happen, and a wicked person for whom bad things happen.

Pirkei Avot4:15 Rabbi Yanai says we can’t explain the suffering of the righteous or the prospering of the wicked.

Babylonian Talmud Rosh Hashanah 16b Rabbi Yohanan defines the righteous, the wicked, and the middling.

Babylonian Talmud Bava Metziah 87b Rabbi Elazar learns from Abraham that the righteous say little and do much while the wicked say much and don’t do anything.

Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 61b Rabbi Yose the Galilean says that צַדִּיקִים יֵצֶר טוֹב שׁוֹפְטָן… רְשָׁעִים יֵצֶר רַע שׁוֹפְטָן the good inclination rules over the righteous, the bad inclination rules over the wicked.

Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 4a Rava explains Isaiah 3:11’s reference to “the evil wicked one” by saying that one who is evil toward heaven and toward people is a wicked evil person, but one who is wicked toward heaven but not evil toward people is not wicked (scroll up for another observation of Rava based on Isaiah 3:11).

Bereshit Rabbah 34:10 הָרְשָׁעִים הֵן בִּרְשׁוּת לִבָּן …אֲבָל הַצַּדִּיקִים לִבָּן בִּרְשׁוּתָן The wicked are ruled by their passions while the righteous ruled over their passions. 

Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 55a-b Discussion of whether there is death without sin and suffering without iniquity.

Babylonian Talmud Menahot 29b Moses, waiting to receive the Torah, learns of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Akiva’s fate.  God alone knows of the reasons for the suffering of the rightesous.

Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 5b (mentioned by Rabbi Price in discussion, scroll up for further context) discussion of יִסּוּרִין שֶׁל אַהֲבָה suffering due to God’s love, which Rabbi Yohanan states that he neither appreciates the suffering nor the reward for the suffering.

Babylonian Talmud Sotah 9b identified by Rabbi Allen has identified the additional (14th) rabbinic explanation of evil as appearing which is not covered in Thinking about Good and Evil: Jewish Views from Antiquity to Modernityexplaining that God punishes those who desire that which is unsuitable for them.

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