The 4 Behaviors Of God Throughout History - Part 3 - Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Main ideas and concepts

• Goal of the series (Part 3): The speaker argues that although God’s actions are infinite in scope, they can be understood through a small set of patterns/categories. Learning these categories provides “tremendous clarity” about:

  • what is happening in the world,
  • why it is happening,
  • and how it connects to today’s time. The speaker further claims that at the end of time, everything will be revealed in a way that creates an “unbelievable cohesiveness.”

• Promise of ultimate understanding: God will ultimately reveal “everything he did and why,” so the audience should not assume that much will remain permanently incomprehensible.

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Review: “Four Behaviors/Attributes of God” (main framework)

The speaker revisits a prior model: four categories of God’s “hanhog” / behavior (the conduct of the relationship between God and creation). In this segment, three are explained more deeply; the fourth is referenced as something to be covered later.

1) Hanhog / Hanhogos ha‘Kum (God’s actions establishing the setup)

• God’s actions create the world and the future world.
• Purpose: creation is a test for human beings, especially the Jewish people.
• Ultimate aim: people receive eternal/infinite reward.
• The speaker frames this as establishing the “setup itself.”

2) Hanhog / Hanhogos Misphat (God’s justice: reward/response based on deeds)

• God acts with justice/judgment: what did the person do? did they do mitzvot? were they tested? did they sin?
• Key claim: there is no “reward” in this world in the usual sense.
  • The speaker argues that the “real reward” is beyond what humans can envision, so it cannot function like normal incentives.
  • God describes reward in physical terms humans can grasp (e.g., rains, food, healing), while the true reward is beyond description.
• Additional point:
  • When someone receives reward, it represents an increased opportunity to do more mitzvot / spirituality—not a simplistic “bribe-like” payoff.

3) Hanhog of the Oneness of God / “Beyond Justice” (guarantees that override justice)

• The speaker claims God is above justice and can act beyond it.
• Example: the guarantee that the world will survive and not collapse despite human free will.
• This is interpreted as requiring a “supreme being” whose will cannot be opposed.

The Jewish people’s guaranteed existence (historical argument)

• Avraham (Aravraham) is presented as fulfilling a role that results in:
  • the indestructibility/continuity of the Jewish people,
  • and a transfer of “guarantees” originally tied to mankind into a specific nation (Israel/Jews).
• Historical claim: Judaism persists while other ancient nations (e.g., Greece, Rome, Babylon, Assyria) vanished.
• The speaker attributes this to God’s guarantee connected to Avraham’s covenantal role.

A “second division of labor” / Jewish mission to stay separate

• God instituted an “avoid assimilation” / separation framework:
  • Jewish communities should remain separate in the nations where they live.
  • If they do not, they will be “afflicted” (as described by the speaker).

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Major historical defense narrative: the Golden Calf (and Moshe as “lawyer”)

The speaker presents a detailed theological midrash-like narrative about the threat to Jewish continuity after the Golden Calf:

• After the Jews sin with the Golden Calf, God threatens to destroy them.
• Moshe Rabbeinu raises the issue:
  • If Jewish descendants are guaranteed, how can God threaten destruction?
• The speaker’s resolution:
  • God can “divert attention” such that existence ends; humans are depicted as dependent on God’s ongoing will.
  • Therefore, the threat is real: without continuous divine attention, people vanish.

Moshe’s refusal

• God offers Moshe a role to become the foundation of a new nation (“make you a great nation”).
• Moshe refuses, because he will not accept an outcome that would remove the Jewish people’s unique role (“tikun” / rectification).

The three rounds of Moshe’s requests (explicit list)

1. First request: Do not destroy the Jews.
2. Second request: Let the Jews remain able to be “rectifiers of creation” (retain the privilege of tikun).
3. Third request: Do not give the power of tikun to any other nation; keep it uniquely with the Jews.

Outcome described

• The decree is averted.
• Yom Kippur is described as the time when complete forgiveness/restoration occurs (40 days later), and:
  • the suffering/retribution is handled “through the generations,”
  • but Jewish responsibility for rectifying creation remains.

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Sukot explained (clouds as symbol of protection/guarantee)

• Sukkot joy is explained as follows:
  • The clouds in the desert symbolize divine protection and an ongoing “guarantee” (h anog / hanhog theme).
  • The clouds are said to leave and then return when the divine guarantee is restored (timed to the 15th of Tishrei in the speaker’s wording).
• Therefore, Sukkot joy reflects reinstatement of the Jewish “contract”/role: the rectification task is restored.

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Second major theological threat: the Spies / lashon hara-like theology

The speaker claims the Jews were threatened a second time, linked to the sin of the spies:

• The spies’ sin is framed as “repeat-like” to the Golden Calf:
  • If God reinstated Jewish survival after the first threat, why threaten destruction again?
• Proposed explanation:
  • It was not only denigrating the land (which the speaker says is not the embarrassment),
  • but speaking lashon hara directed toward God’s honor/power.
  • The spies allegedly implied God lacks the ability to overcome the giants and guarantee Israel’s conquest/survival.
• Measure-for-measure logic:
  • God acts according to how people understand/relate to His attributes.
  • If people don’t believe God can do it, God may not display that attribute correspondingly.

Moshe’s intervention again

• Moshe allegedly uses a “brilliant tactic”:
  • God would be vindicating the spies’ claim by destroying the Jews.
  • Nations would then conclude God lacks omnipotence.
• Moshe argues that even if nations’ opinions don’t matter, God wouldn’t want His power denied publicly.

Forgiveness and the “no replacement” point

• God forgives again because:
  • there is no other “replacement” nation to receive the role meant for Israel in the speaker’s framework.

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Broader historical claim: God governs non-Jewish nations via the “Noachide laws”

• The speaker argues God’s concern is not only Jews:
  • once non-Jews/nations exist, God relates to them too.
• Jews are described as a model (“light unto the nations”).
• Seven Noahide Laws are said to be:
  • more than civil laws,
  • but a God-commanded framework so non-Jews believe in God and are considered righteous.
• Future-world reward is described as granted to righteous Gentiles as well (though “not in the same measure” as Jews), yet still “vastly greater.”

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Destruction of the Second Temple and later world religions

Speaker’s explanation for the Second Temple’s destruction

• The speaker claims the Second Temple was destroyed due to:
  • sins and harmful speech-like dynamics (“lashon hara” theme).
• A key sin: lashon hara destroys Jewish unity, preventing the Jews from being a proper model for nations.
• Because Jews could no longer serve effectively as that global model, God appoints another religion/nation-based framework.

Christianity (as presented by the speaker)

• Christianity is portrayed as becoming a Gentile model after the Temple’s destruction.
• The speaker compares it to “paganism with Jewish veneer,” asserting Christianity absorbed pagan elements (with heavy critique of “Trinity”).
• Christianity is depicted as:
  • emphasizing accountability and afterlife (as a corrective addition),
  • and becoming missionary-oriented—spreading globally.

Islam (as presented by the speaker)

• The speaker claims Islam is created when global pressure would otherwise overwhelm Jewish survival.
• God designates a figure (Muhammad) to found a new monotheistic religion.
• Islam is portrayed as more “truthful” than Christianity, because it keeps God unified (in the speaker’s framing).
• This remains tied to the recurring theme:
  • global competition leads to persecutory waves against Jews,
  • but God redirects history so Jews survive and can carry out the “tikun” mission.

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End-times teaser: three Messiahs and “what God will be addressing”

Near the end, the speaker states:

• There is an additional concept to be covered: the “third Messiah.”
• The speaker claims there are “three Messiahs” associated with:
  • Shem/Schilo ben David (subtitles show “Shikh Bened”),
  • “Messiah Ben…”,
  • and “Messiah” mentioned in the Zohar / Ramak (subtitles unclear).
• The speaker asserts that modern events relate to what God is handling before the end-time Messiah, and that the reasons will become clear.

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Current events aside (political prophecy framing)

The speaker includes a segment on Donald Trump:

• Claims God saved Trump from an assassination attempt (Pennsylvania).
• The speaker believes Trump has a mission connected to destroying Iran / removing IRGC influence.
• Delays or perceived failures are framed as violations of God’s wishes.

The speaker also references King Saul:

• Saul is presented as being deposed by God after failing to fully carry out a divine command (killing Amalek’s king).
• This is used as an illustration that divine-mission leadership can be revoked for noncompliance.

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Announcement: a book published on lashon hara and the destruction of the Mikdash

The speaker promotes a newly printed work:

• A milestone is achieved: a transcript of an earlier shiur about lashon hara has been printed.
• Publisher/partner: Felheim is mentioned as responsible for printing.
• Where to buy: “in the Sefar/Swarm stores” (subtitles garbled; meaning appears to be Jewish bookstores).
• Book title: The True Power of Speech: The Key to Both Worlds.

The speaker claims the book explains:

• the internal mechanism for why lashon hara is so devastating,
• how it destroyed the Second Temple,
• why redemption has not come yet / why the Jewish people remain in exile (“gulus”),
• and that avoiding lashon hara brings major positive outcomes: “peace and harmony,” plus future-world merit.

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Methodology / explicit structured elements

Moshe Rabbeinu’s “three-pronged” intervention (explicit structure)

1. Request #1: Do not destroy the Jewish people.
2. Request #2: Let the Jews retain their role/privilege as rectifiers of creation (tikun).
3. Request #3: Do not give the tikun power to any other nation—keep it with the Jews only.

Four-behaviors framework (implied categories)

1. God’s creation/setup actions and the test
2. God’s justice/judgment response to deeds
3. God’s actions beyond justice—guarantees (e.g., Jewish continuity)
4. Not covered here; promised for a later part

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Speakers / sources featured (as identifiable)

• Rabbi Mendel Kessin (primary speaker; host/teacher)
• Rambam (Maimonides) (referenced)
• Rashi (referenced)
• Hazal / Chazal (Sages) (referenced)
• Ramban (mentioned; subtitles vary)
• Zohar (referenced)
• Chumash / “Kumish” (referenced generally as scripture)
• Tehillim / Psalms (referenced via “Tehillum” wording; concept “God is righteous in all his ways”)
• Book cited/promoted: The True Power of Speech: The Key to Both Worlds
• Publisher mentioned: Felheim