Us and G-d

Question:

Dear Rabbi Moss

My name is Yael and I am 9 years old. I have a question for you. Why does G-d set us challenges if he knows our future? And if we do the wrong thing how can he be mad with us?

From Yael

Answer:

Dear Yael,

That is a fantastic question. You must have a very deep mind, because this is the question that all the great minds ask. I will try to give you an answer.

Do you know the song, "G-d is here, G-d is there, G-d is truly everywhere"? If G-d is truly everywhere, then I have a problem -- where are you? And where am I? How can you be there if G-d is also there? If someone is sitting in a chair, I can't also sit there! If a room is full of people, I can't fill it with more people! So if the world is full of G-d (because He is everywhere) where are we?!

The answer: G-d can do anything. He can be everywhere and let us be here too. So really He is everywhere -- even the place that I'm in. But He makes it seem to me like He isn't there so I can exist.

The exact same thing applies to my choices. How can I choose if G-d already decided? If G-d knows what I will choose, then there's no room for my choice?

The answer: G-d can do anything. He can know what I will do and let me decide too. He can know but make it seem to me like He doesn't know, so I am free to choose.

So why are we rewarded or punished if G-d knew anyway what we would do? Because we don't feel that G-d knew. We feel that we chose freely. And we are right. Just like we exist freely, because G-d hides Himself from us, so we choose freely because G-d keeps his knowledge to Himself.

If we would feel that G-d knows what we will choose, we wouldn't be able to choose anymore. And if we could feel that G-d is here, we wouldn't feel that we were separate from Him. That's what will happen when Moshiach (the Messiah) comes -- we will realise that we are really part of G-d. And we won't have free choice anymore. That's why we have to do a lot of good now -- while we still have the choice!

Think about it, and we can talk about it more if you want.