From: Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] origin of evil
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 17:57:02 -0500
I asked this already, why are we interjecting the idea of "morality"?
That word is nowhere in the Torah, it is a modern concept only, and
angels' actions don't derive evil, since they have no freedom of
choice to obey or disobey G-d.
Shoshanna
HH: God says that he creates evil, so of course you can say that. But
clearly moral evil is due to moral agents, and God as a moral agent does
not produce moral evil because he is holy. However, angels and men do
produce moral evil by contravening God's good will.
HH: Right, but I think Isa 45:7 is using the term "evil" in the sense of
"disaster." I understand what you are saying about moral evil being a
by-product of God's creation of the world. However, it was not a
necessary by-product, since it is due to the free will choices of moral
beings. He was not the direct Creator of moral evil, since it arose
through angels and human beings.