Musar zu Malachi 3:19

And from this, we will understand very well what has disappeared from the eyes of researchers in what they have examined regarding, heaven forbid, a change in God's will. The Almighty decrees a decree and then repentance, prayer and charity can change that to the better; and sometimes it changes from good to bad. But they walk in darkness because there can be no change, heaven forbid. Rather all is one and is only a matter of one desire. That is to say this inquiry is a matter of faith. I will also copy what I wrote as a child in my pamphlet, even though it is a little different. In any event, it all goes together in one place. These are my words. Written in section of Godliness in the gate of unity. And the whole faith of unity is complete; as there is no body nor strength of the body, nor a separate mind, and will not change from thought to thought or from action to action or from one leader to another. It is a complete intellect and simple and unique in all parts of His names and in all attributes. And a change in actions on the part of the leadership only exists from the side of the recipients. Because the one who walks in innocence and straightness, and keeps a good home, receives goodness derived from God Almighty. And he who perverts his path and distances himself, is distanced from the good derived from God and the opposite is derived from Him.

Also, from the Great Din, of which it is written (Malachi 3:19): "For, behold, the day is coming which will burn as an oven" — one who occupied himself with Torah is destined to be rescued, as we find in Midrash Tehillim: "In time to come, the Holy One Blessed be He will take the sun out of its case and judge [i.e., punish] with it the wicked, and heal with it the righteous, as it is written (Ibid. 20): 'And there shall shine for you, fearers of My name, the sun of charity with healing in its wings, etc.'" R. Yehoshua said: "The Holy One Blessed be He did charity with all who enter the world by not having placed it [the sun] in the first firmament. For if he had placed it there, there would be no shade for anyone under it, as it is written (Psalms 19:7): 'And there is no hiding from His sun.'" But in time to come, who is hidden from His sun? He who occupies himself with Torah, as it is written afterwards (Ibid. 8): 'The Torah of the L-rd is complete.'" And the verse (Malachi 3:19): "For, behold, the day is coming which will burn like an oven" is, likewise, followed by (Ibid. 22): "Remember the Torah of Moses, My servant."

And there are some from this evil group for which it is not enough that they do not wear trembling when they bypass the law and the testimonies, but they praise and bless themselves when they fulfill their desires. So they bring anger and scorn before God, as it is stated (Psalms 10:3), “The wicked crows about his unbridled lusts; the grasping man reviles and scorns the Lord.” And Isaiah, peace be upon him, spoke about the destruction of this group - as it is stated (Isaiah 1:28), “But rebels and sinners shall all be crushed, and those who forsake the Lord shall perish.” And he compared the rebels and the sinners to a broken vessel that has a remnant; but he said that “those that forsake God shall perish.” For they have no share in the world to come, as the matter is stated (Malachi 3:19), “and leave of them neither stock nor boughs.”