Sefer HaIkkarim

Now, what is the punishment? He was already losing the throne.

So Rabbi Yosef Albo, in the Sefer Ha'ikarim, Dalet Chavav, says that it's the fact that he can't be forgiven for the sins that he has already performed.

He is held responsible because he has this bad character that's reflected in what he did in Nob.

That's one answer.

It includes only the Chumash commentaries I regularly consult.

It doesn't even include the thinkers who addressed such matters in their philosophical works, such as Rabbeinu Bachya Ibn Pakuda in Chovas Halevavos one, ten, Rabbi Judah Halevi, Kuzari three seventy-three, Rabbe Joseph Albo, Sefer Ha-Ikkarim two fourteen and fifteen, and most of all, Rambam in the Moreh one twenty-nine, but really the whole first Chelek and other works.

That list goes on as well.

As a representative of the group, I'll cite one of the clearest and most concise presentations.

What are the three Ikrim? The three Ikrim are his belief in the nitzitz of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, that he exists and he is Borei Olam, belief in Hashem as Borei Olam, that he exists.

The second Ikar is the belief in Torah MiSinai, that HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave us Torah to Klal Yisrael.

And the third Ikar is that there's Hashgacha Protis, that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is mashgiach on human beings, and each human being has his own Hashgacha Protis from Hashem.

What the degrees and the dargas of Hashgacha Protis are, obviously, is a very, very lengthy discussion as to exactly what are the dargas of Hashgacha Protis, the difference between Yidden and Goyim, animals and humans, and even amongst Yidden, and what Hashgacha Protis actually is.

But that's for sure that we have to believe in Hashgacha Protis, that each person has his own private accounting.

Yitzchak Avinu, perhaps one could say, zakeida, eilo shel Yitzchak.

The shofar of Yitzchak was the shofar of Har Sinai.

That maybe corresponds to, um- To shuls, to, uh, the Kabbalah Sefira, to the Ikar of Torah Mesinai.