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Free Will

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Philosophy
Jewish texts have explored the concept of free will for thousands of years. A paradigmatic narrative through which the topic is often discussed is God’s hardening of Pharoah’s heart in the Exodus narrative. Jewish thinkers analyze the interplay between free will and God’s omnipotence and consider the practical implications of free will in daily life.
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The Power of Choice
TANAKH
The Torah emphasizes the active choice and responsibility of individuals to choose between life and death, blessing and curse. In Deuteronomy, Moses exhorts the Israelites to choose life and blessings for their well-being and that of their descendants.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live—
Deuteronomy 30:19
When Free Will is Taken Away
MIDRASH
The hardening of Pharaoh's heart raises questions about free will and divine justice. The medieval midrash Shemot Rabbah explores how God hardens the heart of a sinner only after multiple ignored warnings.
Another interpretation: “As I have hardened his heart” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From here there is an opening for the heretics to say that he had no [opportunity] to repent, as it is stated: “As I have hardened his heart.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said to him: Let the mouths of the heretics be sealed; rather, “to the scorners He scorns” (Proverbs 3:34). The Holy One blessed be He forewarns a person the first time, the second, and the third, and if he does not relent, He locks his heart from repentance in order to exact retribution for his sins. The same is true regarding the wicked Pharaoh…
Shemot Rabbah 13:3
Balancing Divine Omniscience and Human Free Will
MISHNAH
Pirkei Avot explores the balance between divine omniscience and human free will. This tractate of the Mishnah, known for its ethical teachings, offers timeless wisdom and moral guidance.
Everything is foreseen yet freedom of choice is granted, And the world is judged with goodness; And everything is in accordance with the preponderance of works.
Pirkei Avot 3:15
The Power of Free Will and Repentance
HALAKHAH
Free will allows individuals to strive for spiritual cleansing. In his monumental 12th-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides emphasizes the importance of repentance and verbal confession.
Since free choice is granted to all men as explained, a person should always strive to do Teshuvah and to confess verbally for his sins, striving to cleanse his hands from sin in order that he may die as a Baal-Teshuvah and merit the life of the world to come.
Mishneh Torah, Repentance 7:1
The Illusion of Free Will
MUSAR
Some maintain that despite the illusion of free will, every action is sustained by God's power. Rabbi Moshe Cordovero's kabbalistic work, Tomer Devorah, explores this concept.
‎The First: "Who is a power like You" instructs about the Holy One, blessed be He, being an insulted King [that] tolerates insult that is inconceivable. Behold, nothing is hidden from His oversight, without a doubt, and [yet] there is no moment ‎when a person is not nourished and preserved by the Highest force that flows upon him; and behold, you find that ‎there was never a person who sinned against God, without Him - at that very instant - [willing] the flow of his existence and the movement of his limbs. While this person sins with that force, He does not withhold it from him at all…
Tomer Devorah 1:2
The Paradox of Free Will
COMMENTARY
Malbim argues that God's perfection and immutable foreknowledge negate human free will and responsibility. In his 19th-century commentary on Job, Malbim delves into the philosophical and theological implications of divine foreknowledge and human free will.
Job renews his contention that by virtue of His Perfection, God must have immutable foreknowledge of everything and so man has neither choice nor free-will and should not be held responsible for his actions.
Malbim on Job 10:6:1
Divine Justice and Pharaoh's Heart
MUSAR
How can we reconcile the hardening of Pharaoh's heart with the concept of free will? Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, in his 17th-century work Shenei Luchot HaBerit, delves into the complexity and fairness of God's actions.
G–d speaks about hardening the heart of Pharaoh in 7,3, something with which most early commentators had so much difficulty. They could not understand why G–d would deprive Pharaoh of his freedom of choice and at the same time punish him for failing to repent. We know that G–d is just and fair, and it seems incompatible with G–d's declared attributes that He should proceed in such a manner. I have earlier described the way the Zohar deals with this problem. I now want to concentrate on Rashi's approach, whose words are based on our sages…
Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Vaera, Torah Ohr 46
Moses' Exercise of Free Will
CHASIDUT
Moses' proactive decision to add an extra day to the preparation period for receiving the Torah exemplifies the profound exercise of free will in a pivotal moment. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, a prominent Chasidic master, delves into the mystical and ethical significance of Moses' decision-making in the context of receiving the Torah.
So Moshe’s free will to receive the Torah or not to receive the Torah was contingent on this. For it was only possible to receive the Torah after three days, which is how it in fact happened. Had he not added one day, he would not have received the Torah <for, in fact, the Shekhinah only descended after three days>. God only told him two days. But he understood on his own. He chose to receive the Torah and added one day; because of which, the Giving of the Torah transpired.
Likutei Moharan 190:1:8
The Autonomy of Fear of Heaven
JEWISH THOUGHT
Fear of heaven is a uniquely human responsibility, distinct from other aspects of divine influence. In his 16th-century work Netivot Olam, Maharal of Prague delves into the concept of free will, stressing that fear of heaven is an inherent quality that God cannot bestow.
And in the chapter [entitled] Ein Omdin (Berakhot 33b): Rabbi Chanina said, "Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for fear of Heaven, as it is stated, And now Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you other than to fear, etc. (Deuteronomy 10:12)." Is fear of Heaven a minor matter? Didn’t Rabbi Chanina say in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, "The Holy One, Blessed be He, has nothing in his treasury other than a treasure of fear of Heaven, as it is stated, Fear of the Lord is his treasure (Isaiah 33:6)?" Indeed, for Moses fear of Heaven is a minor matter…
Netivot Olam, Netiv Yirat Hashem 1:4
Elevating Free Will
JEWISH THOUGHT
Individuals have the potential to elevate their free will to align with divine justice, achieving a godly status. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, a prominent 20th-century Jewish thinker, explores themes of spirituality, ethics, and the relationship between humanity and God.
Nothing prevents anyone from elevating his free will to the height of Divine justice. In accordance with the degree to which [a person] approaches the measure of Divine justice, he rises and becomes a godly person.
Shemonah Kevatzim 1:130:2
The Consequences of Misused Free Will
COMMENTARY
The Israelites' misuse of their free will led to their spiritual downfall. Sforno, a 16th-century Italian rabbi and biblical commentator, provides insights into the spiritual implications of the Israelites' actions during Moses' time on Mount Sinai.
ויתן אל משה ככלותו, after the Torah described all the spiritual accomplishments which should have resulted from the many days Moses had spent on the mountain with G’d, the Torah now has to explain why all these spiritual accomplishments G’d had envisaged did not in fact materialise so that it became necessary to build a Tabernacle, etc., in order to achieve these spiritual accomplishments via a different route. The Torah explains that the cause of this detour in the spiritual ascent of the people was the abuse they had made of the freedom of choice…
Sforno on Exodus 31:18:1
The Balance of Free Will and Divine Control
REFERENCE
In the context of Jewish theological discourse, the interaction between human free will and divine sovereignty sparks significant debate. This discussion delves into the theological differences between the Pharisees and Sadducees, prominent Jewish sects during the Second Temple period.
A major source of difference was the Pharisees’ belief that even though a man may possess a free will to do either good or evil, according to his inclination, nevertheless God controls him in everything and is the ruler of his thoughts. The Sadducees maintained that God does not interfere with man’s behavior and that no reward or punishment awaits one after death. Reward or punishment, they argued, are inherent in the deed itself.
The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume I; The Creators of the Mishna, The Three Main Parties of the Talmudic Period; The Pharisees, The Sadducees, The Essenes 26
The Tensions in Joseph's Story
COMMENTARY
The story of Joseph in Genesis brings to life three central tensions in Judaism. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his insightful 21st-century Torah commentary, delves into these tensions.
These three tensions (freewill vs. providence, particular vs. universal, and appearance vs. reality) lie at the heart of Judaism, and they reach their fullest exposition in the story of Joseph.
Covenant and Conversation; Genesis; The Book of the Beginnings, Miketz, Man Proposes, God Disposes 5
Divine Foreknowledge and Human Choice
JEWISH THOUGHT
The tension between divine foreknowledge and human free choice challenges our understanding of autonomy and destiny. Rav Shagar's 20th-century sermons explore this philosophical tension, offering insights into how these concepts can coexist on different levels of understanding.
That is to say, from the aspect of the Divine eternal truth the future exists in the present, for it is timeless, and He knows all things. There is a contradiction here and it is not possible to resolve the contradiction between (fore)knowledge and free choice because we are trying to discuss them at two different levels.
Panekha Avakesh 11:12
The Challenge of Free Will
CHASIDUT
God amplifies the evil inclination to challenge individuals, making the triumph over it a path to true goodness. Rabbi Nathan of Breslov’s prayers in Likutei Tefilot are designed to help individuals seek divine assistance in overcoming their spiritual challenges.
In order to appreciate Your goodness, we must possess free will. And so You planted within us not only a good inclination, but also an evil inclination that we must overcome, as a result of which we attain Your vast and eternal goodness. Your goodness is infinite and the steps to attain it rise without number. You want us to comprehend You at the highest level. And so You amplified the powers of the evil inclination almost beyond measure, giving it the power to entice and impede us at every stage. This is why our rabbis state that “the greater a person, the greater his evil inclination…
Likutei Tefilot, Volume I 92:2-3
The Hidden Path to Free Will
KABBALAH
The concealment of God's plan and the cycle of evil reverting to good are essential for the existence of free will. In his 18th-century kabbalistic work, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto explores how divine concealment allows for the possibility of free will and the repair of the world.
For then men act on their level in accordance with their freedom of choice... Since foreknowledge of what is going to happen is withheld from people, if they do something and succeed, they are not aware that what they were going to accomplish was already known. On the other hand, if they make an effort to do something without being able to accomplish it, they still receive a good reward for their effort, whereas had they known they were not going to succeed, they would not have made the effort. And so on…
Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah 81:9-10
Voluntary and Involuntary Moral Failures
SECOND TEMPLE
Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, blends Jewish theology with Greek philosophy to explore the nature of free will and divine response, distinguishing between involuntary and voluntary moral failures. He uses the stories of Adam and Cain to illustrate this concept.
[10] Adam, then, is driven out by God; Cain goes out voluntarily. Moses is showing us each form of moral failure, one of free choice, the other not so. The involuntary act, not owing its existence to our deliberate judgement, is to obtain later on such healing as the case admits of, “for God shall raise up another seed in place of Abel whom Cain slew” (Gen. 4:25). This seed is a male offspring, Seth or “Watering,” raised up to the soul whose fall did not originate in itself.
On the Posterity of Cain and his Exile 3:1
The Divine Contraction and Human Free Will
COMMENTARY
The concept of tzimtzum refers to how God takes on limitations to allow human beings to exercise free will. Rabbi Chaim Jachter’s modern commentary on the Book of Daniel explores this kabbalistic idea, providing insights into the relationship between God and human agency.
Hashem, surprisingly, also limits Himself. The masters of Kabbalah teach that Hashem contracted, limited, and condensed Himself in order for the world to exist (Kabbalah refers to this phenomenon as Tzimtzum). Hashem is infinite and must contract Himself in order for anything but Himself to exist. He must also engage in Tzimtzum in order for human beings to enjoy free will. Thus, Hashem places limitations on Himself in order to allow us to exist in His world.
Sefer Daniel; Opportunity in Exile, Perek 4, Hashem and Nevuchadnetzar; Hashem as a Strict Loving Father, NOT a Bully! 12

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