Q&A: Knowledge and Free Choice
Knowledge and Free Choice
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Recently I looked through your book The Science of Freedom.
In the book, a side claim was raised that because of logical constraints we must reach the conclusion that God does not know what will happen in the future.
How does that conclusion fit with many passages in the Hebrew Bible from which it seems that God is related to as one who knows what is going to happen, for example:
“…and this people will rise up and…”, “you shall surely know that your offspring will be strangers in a land not theirs…”
Or perhaps the conclusion does not fit with them?
Answer
Hello.
Two possibilities:
1. The Shelah, in his introduction, writes that prophecies about a future that depends on human choice (there is no obstacle to knowing the natural future) are only according to what is probable. It is the Holy One Blessed Be He’s best assessment, but people can choose to change it.
2. If the Holy One Blessed Be He decides that in any case He wants something to happen, He can of course take away our freedom of choice or limit it, and dictate the outcome.
All the best,