Q&A: Following up on the discussion with Rabbi Makbili
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Following up on the discussion with Rabbi Makbili
Question
You have no principled problem with a violation of the laws of nature, because as I understood your approach, the free choice you advocate is a breaking of determinism, and we ourselves are a kind of "small god" in a deterministic world.
If Rabbi Makbili were to say that when the Holy One, blessed be He, intervenes, then it is indeed by violating the laws of nature (physics), whether by playing with quantum statistics or by changing the strong nuclear force at a specific point, how would the discussion continue from there?
Could you summarize what you would answer him at that point?
Answer
I would answer him that this is possible, although there is no indication that it actually happens. I think I said that there too.
And what indication is there of real and full free choice—has anyone ever observed such a thing in a laboratory?
As an aside, I'll write that it seems Rabbi Makbili does not accept full free choice. He spoke about how 99% of our actions are not driven by choice at all (even if it seems that way to us). That doesn't sound like the free choice you're talking about, but it isn't really related to the question I asked here.