Q&A: Free Choice
Free Choice
Question
In the book The Science of Freedom, the Rabbi writes briefly that in his view there is free choice, and the Holy One, blessed be He, does not know what we will choose, for the simple reason that this information does not exist. Unfortunately, the Rabbi did not elaborate beyond that. I know that this is the view of Gersonides, and almost everyone disagreed with his approach. I would be glad if the Rabbi could write in more detail what led him to this conclusion, and whether there are other rabbis who think this way.
Answer
Greetings,
As far as I remember, I explained this there. Briefly: to know in advance information that does not exist is a logical contradiction. It is like making a square circle. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, cannot make a square circle (because if it is square then it is not circular), so too He cannot know information that does not exist (because if He knows it, then it exists).
On this point—that the Holy One, blessed be He, cannot do something that is a logical contradiction—no one can really argue, although many are mistaken about it. The question is whether this really is a logical contradiction. About that, I brought Newcomb's paradox there, which clearly proves that this is indeed a logical contradiction: either give up the assumption of free will, or give up divine foreknowledge.
In general, when there is a clear argument, there is no reason to resort to sources or precedents. Even if no one had ever said this before, if it is true, then that is what I believe.
But to your question: there are those who wrote this, such as the Shelah in the introduction to his book (the section "Beit HaBechirah"), and also the Or HaChaim at the end of his commentary on the end of Genesis, who wrote that God withheld from Himself knowledge of the future—and the meaning of this is that He gave us free choice and thereby caused that knowledge not to exist. As I said, even if they had not written it, I wrote it. So now there is already someone who wrote it. Why does it reassure you if the Shelah wrote it? Couldn't you ask about him too: who wrote it before him?
Discussion on Answer
Why does it reassure you if the Shelah wrote it? Couldn't you ask about him too: who wrote it before him?
There is certainly a difference between the Shelah—or anyone else accepted by all or most of the Jewish people—having written something, and you. Just as I would trust a doctor who is recognized by all the doctors, as opposed to some doctor from a remote place who comes up with a new idea, and we would say to him: "What is your basis for this?"
The Rabbi is of course right. Conceptually, the Rabbi's view made a lot of sense to me; I was just surprised to discover that everyone objects to it. The majority view does not always reflect the truth, but it does carry weight and should not be dismissed lightly. That is why I wanted to know whether there are other sources that hold this way.