Q&A: Divine Providence
Divine Providence
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Is it possible to say that God established laws and rules by which the world operates (and not only laws of nature) — meaning that if I choose this, then this will happen, and if I choose otherwise, then something else will happen, and likewise for every person’s choices — and then there is no need for providence at all, because everything is predetermined and foreseeable in advance (not what I will choose, but what will happen if I choose this or that)?
Answer
I didn’t understand. Are you arguing for the possibility that there are spiritual laws of nature, such that if I committed a transgression, such-and-such would happen to me, even if the laws of nature do not require it? You can say anything, but I don’t think that’s correct. We simply don’t see anything that deviates from the laws of nature.
Discussion on Answer
There is no such thing, because there is no luck within the laws of nature. I’ve written here more than once about the absence of gaps in the laws of nature, because they are deterministic.
The moment everything is foreseeable in advance, it is possible to plan everything from the outset together with the laws of nature and together with the possible choices each person has (that is, the paths are foreseeable, only it is not known which path will occur based on each person’s choice).
That is completely true. But it doesn’t have the slightest connection to the question of divine involvement and deviations from the laws of nature. The laws of nature themselves are the plan for what will happen with each choice I make.
That’s what I meant. But what is hard for me is that if so, then what is the basis for saying that there is providence at all? What does providence mean? And what is the difference between individual providence and general providence?
In my opinion, there is no providence in the sense of divine involvement in the world — what I called active providence. It is possible that in rare cases this happens (it cannot be ruled out). These things have been explained in detail and discussed to exhaustion here on the site.
Spiritual laws of nature, but not contrary to the laws of nature. That is, where luck enters the picture.