What Derech Hashem is
Derech Hashem — "The Way of G-d" — is not a teacher but a sefer, one of the foundational works of Jewish thought. It was written by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, known as the Ramchal, an eighteenth-century master whose clarity of mind reshaped how these ideas are taught.
What makes the work distinctive is its structure. Instead of scattered essays, the Ramchal lays out the fundamentals of emunah in an orderly, almost architectural fashion — building from the purpose of creation to how the world is run. Learning Derech Hashem means following that carefully drawn map from first principles outward.
The ground it covers
The sefer moves through the great questions of Jewish belief: why the world was created, what a human being is, how Divine providence (hashgacha) operates, and the workings of reward and punishment. It also treats the soul, prophecy, and the meaning of prayer and the mitzvos.
Because the Ramchal presents these as a connected system rather than isolated topics, the reader comes away with more than facts — they gain a framework. Derech Hashem answers not only what we believe but how the pieces fit together, which is why it remains a first stop for organized hashkafa.
Studying it as a series
A shiur series on Derech Hashem typically works through the sefer section by section, unpacking the Ramchal's tight, precise language so its full meaning opens up. Because every part builds on the last, learning it in order is the way to feel the structure the author intended.
The reward is a grounded, thought-through understanding of Jewish belief. For a family or an individual who has kept mitzvos without ever mapping the "why" behind them, Derech Hashem supplies exactly that map — a clear account of the world's purpose and our place within it.
Finding kosher Torah video for your family
FilteredTube is a kosher video service built for Jewish families — every single video is approved against one written standard before it can appear, with no open feed, no comments, and no surprises. It is a calm, safe place to look for the Torah and Jewish music you love.
If your family enjoys the Ramchal's Derech Hashem, search FilteredTube for the speakers and topics that matter most to you. With a daf yomi shelf, a weekly parsha shelf, topic shelves, audio-only listening for the car, and a kids mode with a PIN, kosher Jewish video is easy to reach — and the approved catalog keeps growing every day.
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Derech Hashem is a foundational sefer, not a present-day speaker.
- It was written by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto — the Ramchal — in the 18th century.
- It systematically covers creation, providence, the soul, prophecy, and prayer.
- Its orderly structure makes it a first stop for organized Jewish hashkafa.
- Search FilteredTube for kosher, approved Torah video — the catalog grows every day.