Divine Accountability: Punishment as a Call to Moral Correction
The statement can be interpreted to mean that the behavior of creations is the cause of subsequent punishments, and instead of changing or perfecting His own nature, the Lord resorts to condemning His creations for their choices and actions. In this view, the emphasis is not on the perfection of God, but on the acknowledgment of the imperfection of creations and the imposition of punishments as corrective measures.For example, a source from file link txt states: "Since man violated the commandment, he incurred punishment through diseases: he had to die, ... Now, because they led an immoral life, He threatens them, as punishment, with hell." This quote demonstrates that divine punishment (through hell) is applied to point out the shortcomings of creations, serving as a signal for the need for correction through the awareness of the nature of their deeds.Another perspective is presented in a source from file link txt, which says: "If a person's soul is filled with darkness, he chooses his own darkness. Therefore, hell is not punishment; it is God's mercy for those people who cannot and do not want to embrace anything holy — even refusing to listen about it." Here, it is emphasized that the threat of hell may be regarded as a measure containing an element of mercy for those who have already rejected the possibility of partaking in anything sacred. This indicates that the responsibility for choosing one’s fate lies with the creation, not in the perfecting of God.Thus, the statement can be seen as an expression of the idea that divine logic in punishing creations is based on their free choice and their failure to live in accordance with the commandments. The Lord holds creations accountable for their imperfection, as they deviate from true ideals, and instead of perfecting Himself, He establishes a measure of punishment through the threat of hell, which is intended to serve as a reminder of the need for moral reform.