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Discussions about free will typically focus on the micro level, examining how an individual can have free choice in a (potentially) deterministic universe.

But does freedom of choice exist at the macro (or aggregate) level, where individual choices can shape and influence world events and direction of history? Take as an example people voting for the president of their country, with the candidates having diametrically opposing policies. Presumably, the outcome can influence the direction of world history, which is something we would expect G-d to be deciding and to be in His domain (and not something left to the whims of any group of people). Yet at the same time, each individual vote is an exercise of free will (or so we presume, since if it's not, then why bother casting the vote?).

The question then arises on how a collection of free choices can simultaneously add up to a pre-desired (by G-d) outcome necessary for implementing how He wants world's events to unfold?

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    This is one of the explanations for how the slavery in Egypt was predetermined without violating their free will, because individuals can exercise free will even though the aggregate outcome is inevitable. I think it's possible by nudging people in a certain direction such that they're not individually bound to behave in a specific way but they're more probable to do so, making their behavior predictable at the population level (similar to how Hari Seldon predicts the future of civilization in Azimov's Foundation series).
    – shmosel
    Commented Aug 11 at 23:53
  • Because of the uncertainty principle, the world is not deterministic. We have free will and God agrees (with tzimtzum) not to restrict it.
    – Maurice Mizrahi
    Commented Aug 12 at 2:11
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    @MauriceMizrahi there are fully deterministic interpretations of QM (e.g. Bohm-Debroglie)
    – user9806
    Commented Aug 12 at 3:38
  • Determinism isn't the only issue. Randomness doesn't solve free will
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Commented Aug 12 at 7:21
  • I understood the question but don't you know that Judaism always holds both sides of the stick? You will find support for either view, e.g. the principle of reward and punishment definitely works on a global level, and the principle of Divine immutability supports the lack of true free will on any level.
    – Al Berko
    Commented Aug 12 at 10:13

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Looking at the micro level Person A can decide to go vote for Candidate A. G-d decides if person A actually gets to vote... ( car trouble, blackout, he can press the button and the computer can read the info wrong, ballot can be lost.....) Aggregate every vote going this way, where Hashem ultimately decided their vote, and Hashem can easily direct the final ballot count in any election.

This is only one possible, but the simplest way to look at the aggregate concept. (Additionally in your particular scenario non-jews who comprise most of the voting public don't have the level of free will that Jews have and that would be a different way for Hashem to control the election)

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According to the Malbim (Mishlei 21:1):

פלגי מים לב מלך ביד ה' - הגם שלב האדם הפרטי נתון ברשותו והבחירה בידו, לא כן לב המלך, אחר שבבחירותו תלוי אושר הכלל, ואם יבחר בדרך רע ישחית רבים ועצומים, לכן ליבו זה הכללי הוא ביד ה', והוא בענייני הכלל משולל הבחירה.

Loosely translated:

“A king’s heart is like flowing water in Hashem’s hand.” While an individual person’s heart is in his own possession and he has free will, a king’s heart, whose decisions affect the welfare of society, and whose bad decisions would would destroy many, is in Hashem’s hands. Thus, in matters pertaining to the people, a king has no free will.

It would seem, then, that (in the Malbim’s opinion) free will is limited to matters that do not affect world events.

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