Rambam describes the fourth and fifth possible understandings of how God's providence works, the fifth one being the simple meaning of the Torah. He reviews the flaws of all the possibilities, and leads us toward his own understanding of God's providence, which he will describe next.

Rambam describes various opinions regarding God's providence. In this lecture we cover the first three approaches.

Rambam begins his discussion of the difficult question of theodicy by describing what led many philosophers to conclude that God doesn't know what is happening in His universe.

In chapter 14, Rambam describes why it is unreasonable to think that God created the world for the sake of human beings, as we are but a tiny speck within the vast universe. He also explains that the sages were only competent in scientific matters according to their time. In 15 Rambam describes why God cannot do the impossible.

Rambam discusses the idea that every creation was created for its' own significance, not for the purpose of serving something else. All of creation, every creature, every being, every moment, is significant for itself. The question of the purpose or end of creation is not a proper question.

In 12b Rambam describes how the quest for unnecessary luxuries is often the cause of our suffering the loss of even necessities. In 13b we learn of the futility in searching for the ultimate purpose of our existence. Rambam emphasizes the special significance of every created being and object, each of which is important, human beings are not the purpose of the universe.

Rambam describes how most evil in the world does not come from God but from our own selfishness.

Rambam describes how evil is the absence of good, and that everything God does is good.