Derech HaShem with Rabbi Aryeh Shulman

1

2.42: D_H 1-5-5_6_7

Jul 7, 2026

35:00

Rabbi Shulman explains how human free will can “move” higher spiritual powers upward, triggering an inevitable, determined flow back downward into the world. He clarifies that not only actions, but also speech and thought, generate uniquely calibrated effects—varying by intensity (*שיעור*) and by spiritual “location” or level (*מדרגה*). Rabbi Shulman then turns to the theological problem of evil, presenting the Ramchal’s model: good is caused directly by Hashem’s illumination, while evil is rooted not in Hashem as a “cause,” but in the concealment/absence of that light—an engineered condition that makes free will possible.

2

2.41: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 4

Jun 30, 2026

30:06

Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s model that most events originate “above” in the higher, spiritual powers and descend into the physical world as cause-and-effect. The major exception is human free will: through bechirah a person can initiate change from below to above, impacting the higher realms by acting in the physical world. Rabbi Shulman concludes that this framework is crucial for avodat Hashem because it turns mitzvot and tefillah from generic “good deeds” into targeted spiritual actions that actively reshape reality, not merely trigger reward like a vending machine. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-4-20260630-140629-outline-20260630-140716.pdf

3

2.40: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 3

Jun 23, 2026

39:16

Rabbi Shulman continues the Ramchal’s discussion of how Hashem structured reality as a system of “roots and branches,” where higher spiritual powers are the roots and the physical world is their downstream expression. He explains the metaphor of **השתלשלות** as a chain of worlds in which the “lowest” aspect of a higher realm becomes the “highest” entry-point into the realm beneath it, and he clarifies the role of **מלאכים** as intermediaries who ensure the correct execution of divine influence. Rabbi Shulman then emphasizes a key interpretive principle: whatever exists “up there” corresponds to what we see “down here,” but only after stripping away physical form to identify the underlying essence—allowing us to relate to Hashem’s hanhagah through tangible mashalim. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-3-20260623-121135-outline-20260623-121230.pdf

4

2.39: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 2

Jun 16, 2026

36:01

Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s distinction between human beings and animals: although both possess a physical life-force, only man is a true composite of two utterly different creations—body and a supernal soul. He develops how this makes man the “ladder” connecting spiritual and physical realms, paralleling the role of the Beit HaMikdash as a “neck” between head and body. Rabbi Shulman then begins Ot 2, emphasizing the limits of human imagination regarding spiritual realities and introducing the core principle of spiritual “roots” (כחות נבדלים) that cascade down through a chain-like סדר השתלשלות, enabling both human relatability and genuine free will. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-2-20260616-030435-outline-20260616-030513.pdf

5

2.38: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 1

Jun 11, 2026

40:33

Rabbi Shulman explains Ramchal’s taxonomy of creation as divided into two overarching realms—גשמי (physical) and רוחני (spiritual)—and then carefully traces the subdivisions within each. He clarifies what “perceivable by the senses” means (including perception aided by tools), and why the spiritual realm contains both נשמות (souls destined to enter bodies) and נבדלים (transcendent beings not destined for bodies), including כוחות and מלאכים. Rabbi Shulman then highlights a surprising “middle category” between physical and spiritual—שדים—using Chazal’s broader principle that Hashem creates intermediary gradations, and he offers modern analogies (microscopic life, quantum phenomena) to help conceptualize what “in-between” might mean. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-1-20260611-030536-outline-20260611-030613.pdf

6

2.37: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 11

Jun 2, 2026

39:29

Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s step-by-step “mechanism” of spiritual growth: a mitzvah brings a person closer to Hashem, that closeness yields greater גילוי (revelation/“הארת פנים”), and that revelation produces human perfection—because Hashem is the source of all שלמות. He contrasts this with philosophical models that locate perfection in abstract thought, drawing on the Maharal’s argument that true human connection to the Infinite comes specifically through Hashem’s revealed will in Torah and mitzvot. Rabbi Shulman then clarifies a potential misunderstanding: the goal in doing mitzvot is not self-serving spiritual gain, but sincerely fulfilling Hashem’s will—while acknowledging that using “reward” calculations can legitimately motivate action. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-11-20260602-155548-outline-20260602-155639.pdf

7

2.35: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 9

May 28, 2026

29:36

Rabbi Shulman explains that while love and fear of Hashem are powerful internal “vehicles” for spiritual growth, Hashem gave an even higher external כלי: תלמוד תורה. He outlines two (and then a heightened third) levels within Torah study—simple reading, analytical understanding, and finally grasping hidden depths—showing how each level produces a corresponding increase in personal שלמות. Rabbi Shulman emphasizes that Torah study must be done with קדושה, טהרה, and proper כוונה, and he concludes that Torah elevates not only the individual but the entire creation. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-9-20260528-192631-outline-20260528-192714.pdf

8

2.36: D_H biyun 1-4-9_10

May 28, 2026

23:19

Rabbi Shulman explains that the Ramchal describes three distinct modes of engaging Torah—reading Written Torah, understanding the revealed Torah (Gemara and halachah), and understanding *סתרי תורה*—and that each produces spiritual growth in a different way. He highlights the Ramchal’s precise word choices—*ויתעצם*, *יקנה*, and *יקבע ויתעצם בנשמתו*—to show when Torah functions as a *סגולה* “internalized” into a person versus when it becomes a true *קניין* acquired through exertion. Rabbi Shulman then begins the next section (*אות י*), framing all human states of “darkness” and “illumination” as dependent on the degree of Hashem’s “illumination” toward the person—limited only by the recipient, not by the Divine Giver. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-910-20260528-194504-outline-20260528-194552.pdf

9

2.34: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 8

May 12, 2026

36:52

This dvar Torah develops a “hack” for generating “limitless mitzvot”: everyday, non-mitzvah actions can become spiritually elevating when they are necessary for avodat Hashem, permissible, and done with proper kavanah. It then pivots to a core inner avodah in Derech Hashem: strengthening אהבה and יראה through contemplation of Hashem’s greatness and human lowliness. Finally, it frames אהבה and יראה as the two “wings” that elevate a person—אהבה expanding the נשמה’s drive for closeness, and יראה purifying the body’s pull toward חומריות—while noting that different generations may emphasize different sides of this balance. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-8-20260512-041330-outline-20260512-041418.pdf

10

2.33: D_H biyun 1-4-5_7

Apr 28, 2026

36:17

This dvar Torah learns Derech Hashem’s framework that mitzvot are not external rules imposed on man, but the very “boundaries and relationships” (גבולים וסדרים) custom-designed for human perfection and דביקות בה׳. It then defines the root of all avodah as a constant orientation toward the Creator, expressed through conquering the yetzer and guiding all actions to that goal. Finally, it introduces a second category beyond commanded mitzvot: everyday necessities (eating, sleep, livelihood) that can become mitzvot when done within halachic limits, with genuine health-need, and with the intention of enabling the soul’s service of Hashem. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-57-20260428-031328-outline-20260428-031417.pdf

11

2.31: 4

Apr 23, 2026

38:55

This dvar Torah traces the Ramchal’s argument that a human being is immersed in physicality on three fronts: our bodies, our world, and our daily involvements. That physical immersion creates an “asymmetrical” struggle: the body is compulsory and immediate, while spirituality is not forced upon us. Yet the Ramchal’s key chiddush is that **from the depth of Hashem’s wisdom**, this very lowliness becomes the engine of human greatness—because transforming physical darkness into spiritual light is what generates the highest kavod Shamayim and the deepest dveikus. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/4-20260423-192629-outline-20260423-192707.pdf

12

2.32: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 4

Apr 23, 2026

39:01

This dvar Torah develops a central Ramchal idea: Hashem embedded *גבולים* (definitions) and *סדרים* (relational structures) within the physical world so that human engagement with physical objects can become a vehicle for spiritual growth rather than distraction. When a person uses the world according to the object’s spiritual “design,” within the proper frameworks (time, combinations, procedure) and with proper *כוונה*, the physical act itself becomes an act of *שלמות*. The shiur then addresses a key tension: since death was decreed after Adam’s sin, purification cannot fully actualize in this world—but every mitzvah still strengthens the soul and purifies the body “in potential,” to be revealed later. A passage from Rav Chaim Volozhiner clarifies that at the moment of a mitzvah a person becomes “encircled in holiness,” and Olam HaBa is the permanence of that revelation. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-4-20260423-193902-outline-20260423-193955.pdf

13

2.30: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 2

Apr 18, 2026

35:55

This dvar Torah (learning session) develops the Ramchal’s description of the נשמה entering the גוף as an inherently asymmetrical struggle: even when the powers are “balanced,” the battlefield is the body’s “home court,” so the soul experiences exile in a foreign environment. Because the soul-body partnership is permanent (death is only temporary until תחיית המתים), the soul must invest in a lifelong process: first weakening the הגוף’s darkness and then elevating the גוף to rise together with the נשמה. The session concludes by previewing the next layer of difficulty: not only is the body physical, but the entire world is physical and “dark,” constantly arguing that physicality is all that is real. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-2-20260418-001456-outline-20260418-001544.pdf

14

2.29: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 1

Apr 1, 2026

39:36

This dvar Torah frames Perek 4 as an investigation into the human condition in this world through two lenses: the inner structure of the person and the external environment in which he lives. Using the Gemara’s language of **“שאור שבעיסה ושיעבוד מלכויות”**, it connects these two forces to Pesach: the internal “yeast” (yetzer hara) that puffs up the dough from within, and the external oppression of surrounding cultures and empires. The shiur then maps the path of inner revolution—through **חכמה, בינה, דעת** and through **חסד, גבורה, תפארת**—and ends by probing the deeper mechanism: physicality’s inherent “opacity” and “darkness,” the opposite of deveikut to Hashem. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-1-20260401-221913-outline-20260401-221946.pdf

15

2.28: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 13b

Mar 24, 2026

37:42

Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-3-13b-20260324-141501-outline-20260324-141618.pdf

16

2.27: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 13

Mar 19, 2026

37:08

17

1.1: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 12

Mar 9, 2026

40:19

18

2.25: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 11b

Feb 25, 2026

35:51

19

2.24: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 10 -11

Feb 17, 2026

34:09

20

2.23: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 9

Feb 10, 2026

39:15

21

2.22: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 8

Feb 3, 2026

35:57

22

2.21: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 4 - 7

Jan 27, 2026

37:53

23

S2E20 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 3

Jan 20, 2026

36:03

24

S2E19 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 2b

Jan 13, 2026

38:37

25

S2E18 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 2

Jan 7, 2026

42:15

26

S2E17 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 3 Part 1

Dec 30, 2025

40:38

27

S2E16 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 4b - 5

Dec 23, 2025

42:33

28

S2E15 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 4a

Dec 17, 2025

41:47

29

S2E13 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 3b

Dec 11, 2025

38:31

30

S2E12 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 3

Dec 8, 2025

40:23

31

S2E12 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 2b

Nov 21, 2025

40:15

32

S2E11 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 2a

Nov 19, 2025

38:55

33

S2E10 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 1d

Nov 11, 2025

39:07

34

S2E9 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 1c

Nov 4, 2025

42:53

35

S2E8 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 1b

Oct 28, 2025

38:20

36

S2E6 -Book 1 Chapter 1 Part 5b - 6

Oct 21, 2025

26:27

37

S2E7 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Part 1

Oct 21, 2025

14:46

38

S2E4 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun: Book 1 Chapter 1 Part 2b - 4

Sep 30, 2025

40:57

39

S2E5 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun: Book 1 Chapter 1 Part 5a

Sep 30, 2025

40:57

40

S2E3 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun: Book 1 Chapter 1 Part 2

Sep 9, 2025

39:45

41

S2E2 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun: Book 1 Chapter 1 Part 1b

Sep 3, 2025

41:37

42

S2E1 -Derech Hashem B'Iyun: Book 1 Chapter 1 Part 1a

Aug 27, 2025

39:02

43

S1E1 -Book 1 Chapter 1

Oct 11, 2021

37:48

44

S1E2 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Episode 1

Oct 11, 2021

42:52

45

S1E3 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Episode 2

Oct 11, 2021

38:54

46

S1E4 -Book 1 Chapter 2 Episode 3

Oct 11, 2021

48:29

47

S1E5 -Book 1 Chapter 3 Episode 1

Oct 11, 2021

46:04

Episode Notes The beginning of Chapter 3 may be back at the end of the previous episode.

48

S1E6 -Book 1 Chapter 3 Episode 2

Oct 12, 2021

39:15

49

S1E7 -Book 1 Chapter 3 Episode 3

Oct 12, 2021

43:17

50

S1E8 -Book 1 Chapter 3 Episode 4

Oct 12, 2021

38:48

Derech HaShem with Rabbi Aryeh Shulman

Derech HaShem with Rabbi Aryeh Shulman

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