דֶּרֶךְ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ – לְהַבִּיט עַל הַטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁעוֹשִׂין, וְאַף שֶׁנִּמְצָא בָּהֶם גַּם־כֵּן מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ טוֹב, אֵינוֹ מִסְתַּכֵּל עַל זֶה. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (במדבר כ״ג:כ״א): לֹא הִבִּיט אָוֶן בְּיַעֲקֹב; מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁהָאָדָם אָסוּר לוֹ לְהַבִּיט עַל חֲבֵרוֹ לְרָעָה, לִמְצֹא בּוֹ דַּוְקָא מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ טוֹב וּלְחַפֵּשׂ לִמְצֹא פְּגָמִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת חֲבֵרוֹ, רַק אַדְּרַבָּא, מְחֻיָּב לְהַבִּיט רַק עַל הַטּוֹב. 3. God’s way is to always focus on the good which people do. Although there is also some not good mixed in with it, He pays no attention to this, as it is written (Numbers 23:21), “He does not look at wickedness in Yaakov.” Certainly, therefore, it is forbidden for a person to look negatively at his fellow man, to find specifically that which is not good and to search for the shortcomings in the other’s religious devotions. On the contrary, he is obligated to focus only on the good.
וְלָזֶה טוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ טֶבַע וְהַשְׁגָּחָה. This is the great advantage in there being both nature and Divine providence.
כִּי כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה טוֹב, אֲזַי מַנְהִיג אוֹתוֹ בְּהַשְׁגָּחָה. וּכְשֶׁהוּא אֵינוֹ טוֹב, וְאִם הָיָה מַנְהִיג אוֹתוֹ בְּהַשְׁגָּחָה – לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהַגִּיעַ לוֹ שׁוּם טוֹבָה, אֲזַי מַנִּיחַ אוֹתוֹ עַל הַטֶּבַע, וְיָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ טוֹבוֹת עַל־פִּי הַטֶּבַע. When a person does good, [God] directs his [life] by Divine providence. But when he is not good, [if God] were to direct his [life] by Divine providence, not even a shred of good could come his way. Consequently, [God] leaves him to nature, so that there is a possibility that good will come his way by the dictates of nature.
וְאִם לֹא הָיָה רַק הַשְׁגָּחָה, הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁתִּתְבַּטֵּל הַהַשְׁגָּחָה לְגַמְרֵי. כִּי כְּשֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁאֵין הָאָדָם מִתְנַהֵג כָּרָאוּי, הָיָה כּוֹעֵס, וְהָיָה מֵסִיר הַהַשְׁגָּחָה לְגַמְרֵי. אֲבָל עַכְשָׁו מַנִּיחוֹ עַל־פִּי הַטֶּבַע, וּכְשֶׁהוּא חוֹזֵר לְמוּטָב, מַשְׁגִּיחַ עָלָיו כַּנַּ"ל. For if there was nothing but Divine providence, Divine providence might itself be entirely eliminated [from that person]! This is because when God would see a person conducting himself improperly, He would become angry and remove Divine providence altogether. Now, however, He leaves him to the dictates of nature. Then, when he returns to good, He guides him with Divine providence.
וּבֶאֱמֶת אֵין אָנוּ יְכוֹלִין לְהָבִין מַהוּ טֶבַע וְהַשְׁגָּחָה, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת גַּם הַטֶּבַע הִיא הַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְזֶה אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָאָדָם לְהָבִין שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים כְּאֶחָד, דְּהַיְנוּ הַטֶּבַע שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת הִיא הַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ: The fact is we are incapable of comprehending nature and Divine providence. For, in reality, nature too is God’s providence. It is impossible for a human being to comprehend this paradox—namely, that nature is actually Divine providence.