G‑d knows all before it occurs. More than that: It is His knowledge that brings all events into being.
But we still have free choice.
You claim this is inconceivable. I ask you: Knowledge of all existence before even the thought of existence is conceivable?
Why not concievable?!
Isa 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD.
Would this not be considered a Paradox?
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Gambling I don't think G)d knows everything before it happens. I believe G_d knows all the probable outcomes, but the rest is up to us. The exact outcome is unknown and that depends on us. While the Psalms say, "He leads me," it is not the equivalent of saying, " I follow Hashem's ways always." I say that when in Genesis G$d says, "And, let them rule," it means that our soul has a stake in this world, and that stake is partly chance. If we are capable to study, but choose not to, then it is our own fault indeed that we have not studied. We should not blame G!d for things that are in our own power, especially if we may do them so that they may change us for better. I am saying G(d doesn't know all to the extent that He may or may not be surprised by our doings. Reply
'idea'
Note quote marks.
(Not parentheses.)
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Praying for this that and other things If everything is known why do we pray so much fo r so many things Reply
Yea, if money is every where why do you still work so much to get money why not sit at home and let the money come to you Reply
Presumption? I seems to me a bit presumptuous to presume how G-d thinks or works. If He is unfathomable we cannot really assume we know how or why He thinks or works.It is enough for me that we have been created and we have free will and are held accountable for our acts. Going beyond that by assuming we can fathom His motives and actions is arrogant and fruitless. It is over-intellectualization. Reply
This is great! This is really great so thank you for posting! Reply
Of course it is possibly:
1.-for G-d there is no "before" and "after", but always: "now", so the thought of existence;
2.-our free choice is part of G-dliness and come from the G-d will, because for G-d there is an infinity of possibilities, including our very limited imagination of choice.
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Yes, it's true Would it spoil some vast, eternal plan to let me know too, Hashem.. :) Reply
kudos
Kudos to Chabad.org for printing ' illogical ' May 25, 2011.
Yasher koach.
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Who says it's illogical?
It's the other way around: It is illogical to presume otherwise. Nothing actually starts with our thoughts. We didn't create ourselves by our own thoughts. G-d gave us logic as a tool, just as He gave us science as a tool. The world and the universe didn't actually start with either one of these, but most likely with a creator and His knowledge.
Secularists ('humanists') often like to believe that taking G-d out of our lives supports human logic, but this is actually illogical on their part.
Your fault, Rabbi Freeman, is that you presume that because you can't define G-d in a totally logical manner that therefore G-d must work illogically and always beyond our understanding.
In other words, you do the same thing of which you accuse others, but with a twist: You've gotten the 'idea' (note parenthesis) that the all knowing G-d is limited by what you can't think and can't understand.
Either way, Rabbi, the fault is with us not with G-d.
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beyond understanding
This is Torah magic. We as three dimensional beings given a glimpse into the infinity (even beyond multi-dimensinal).
It's a Good thing
Shabbat Shalom
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Are we good partners in what is created now?
Hashem's thought preceeds what happens on earth.
Today I do not think that the ten commandments are held with respect to their maker. This causes much confusion.
For ex.A person is murdered. Would that presume that the person needed to die so Hahsem sent someone to murder that particular person? It was the person's free choice to succomb to the thought to murder someone. Because in G-D's ten commandments it says thou shalt not murder, he could have the thought murder then checked it out with Hashem's laws, then decide. We would all say that the commandment should superceed the act on thought to murder.
If it came to be that we all would obey the ten commandment among the others then the person who died who was killed would still be alive? And if so then how would Hahsem complete His mission with this person?
Or maybe this person would be alive? and the killer a creator?
It does not seem to matter exactly who dies in a tornado, tsunami, illness. How much are we real partners?
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in G-d's image isn't this "freedom" of choice, this "creative" liberty to choose a course of action, the "image" of G-d in which we are created? surely the "image" of g-d is not so limited,, nor the translation of our being formed, limited only (if at all) to a materialized, "formed" visual image. it is specifically in our freedom - to be G-d's agents of tikkun, of freeing the essence from the husk, here in the material world, that we are "in G-d's image." Reply
reader comments I like reading this Rabbi's story Reply
Beyond understanding He is the creator we are created being and let it be beyond our understanding. Let it be my freedom of choice is I do not seek all knowledge Reply
uncomplicating
Thank you for delineating how our Free Choice and Hashem's Divine Will intersect. It always seemed so cumbersome to get a bead on the explanation. Your moving it into the realm of illogic, beyond logic, makes it a easier to make sense of it. The foundation that you take for granted, and as such assume, is that we have faith is the Oneness of Hashem, the One and Only Reality. Once you accept that, the rest falls into place.
Thanks again.
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Create it by choosing to be it. We know what will happen because we create it by choosing to be it. Create the peace by choosing to be the peace. Create the positive change by choosing to be the positive change. Create the redemption by choosing to be the redemption. Reply
Existence Our problem is that we try to look at existence objectively, while the nature of our existence is subjective. Acceptance is the key to our conundrum: the beginning of wisdom is fear of G-d.