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I want to share some thoughts: I believe HaShem can do whatever he wants to, and He can do it whenever He wants to. The entire existence is a creation of G-ds consciousness; everything that can be found in this entire universe has no independent existence outside of HaShem 'willing' it to exist. He is the Creator the Source, Sustainer and Supervisor of all creation.

Scripture shows He can use or steer or control everything which He created. But does this mean that HaShem does always controls everything, or just that HaShem can (in order to fulfill His plan/wil)?

Does every drop of rain falls exactly on the place and at the time which G-d chose it to, does every tree produce as much as G-d wants it to, and does every animal which falls and dies because of specific wounds die of those because HaShem had wanted it to happen exactly like this? Is everything that happens in this world happening because HaShem controls it to happen?

I know of - and believe in - the concept of free will, but like humans do animals, nature and such have their own way of freedom? Or does HaShem indeed controls everything, always and all the time (around us)?

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  • I think Ramba"m mentions that what distinguishes humans from animals is the concept of free will. All other animals react because of their "built in" nature or reflex. E.g. an animal eats when it is hungry. It just reacts to the hunger. It doesn't think "maybe this is something I shouldn't have because it will give me gas." As to whether G-d is CONSTANTLY involved in controlling what they do at every moment, I have to research that idea.
    – DanF
    Sep 19, 2017 at 19:38
  • Related possible dupe of: judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/57256/… and judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/33775/…. See also judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/73232/….
    – mevaqesh
    Sep 19, 2017 at 19:42
  • @DanF, you seem to draw a distinction between an animal that 'just reacts' and a human that 'thinks'. Isn't the arising of a thought in a human mind also just a reaction to some stimulus? Aren't our thoughts too determined by 'built-in nature' and 'reflex'?
    – paquda
    Sep 19, 2017 at 20:39
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    @DanF I think you might misunderstood my question, I wanted to know if HaShem is the one that decides, steers or controls these things in order that they happen. Take the rain, ofcourse HaShem made it possible so it could rain, He made the laws of nature, but does this mean that nature works on itself, or that HaShem also decides when, where at which time and how much rain there is to fall every day and every time it rains?
    – Levi
    Sep 20, 2017 at 6:15
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    Yes, I did misunderstand your focus, before. Sorry. Re "how much rain there is to fall every day and every time it rains", I'm inclined to say a pretty definite "yes". The middle paragraph of Shema, among several other places in the Torah seem to indicate that G-d controls when and how much rain, at least the land of Israel receives. I would imagine that the rest of the planet works the same way.
    – DanF
    Sep 20, 2017 at 14:02

3 Answers 3

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You might want to understand the very idea of causality, as your question of Hashem's control comes down to it. Causality in its turn is tied to the existence of time, meaning the cause precedes the outcome. In other words, Hashem decides on somethings, then Hashem does something then it gets fulfilled.

This can only be true in our physical reality that is time-bounded and in our "reality-bounded" perception. As Hashem "exists" beyond the time, our 6000 or 13.8 Bn years are simultaneous to Him. Hence, there's no causality for Hashem (from His standpoint). The reality unfolds before our eyes, mimicking causality, but for Hashem, it is one piece.

Think about downloading a 2-hour movie: it is one file, but you're unable to see it all at once, all you can do is to watch it frame by frame, creating an illusion of a plot. It appears to us that every minute the movie can take a different path, but the file is already there. Same with our world - it is one 6K/13B year-long digital movie, that we're enjoying frame by frame.

So to your question "Does every drop of rain falls exactly on the place and at the time which G-d chose it to ALL THE TIME?" the answer is Yes (and No), but He did it once and for all.

Another point, your question of "does HaShem indeed controls everything, always and all the time?" is an axiom that's taken for granted and not a theorem that needs to be proven. All the religion(s) is based on that premise and is derived from it, not the vice verse. So there's not much that can be said about this, just to accept it as is.

That's how I see it.

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Only people have free will, which HaShem does not explicitly control. As for nature, well yes and no. HaShem created the world 'bederach hatevah', according to the laws of nature, and thus the world we live in is predictable. But it doesn't have to be this way. Everything that happens is only because HaShem wills it, and like you said, the amount every tree produces, where each raindrop falls, every animal that dies - this is all HaShem's will. In the end, because HaShem is usually following a predictable set of rules, this gives rise to the illusion that only when miracles happen is HaShem interfering. But nothing about this world is explicitly 'natural'. HaShem controls all nature, and hides himself behind derech hatevah, but in the end He is the one pulling the strings.

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  • When you wrote HaShem does not explicitly control free will, what exactly do you mean? Then you also believe "everything that happens is only because HaShem wills it". If that second statement is true then do people actually have free will? And besides, do you think human will is actually free to make choices to act or not to act?
    – gamliela
    Dec 3, 2017 at 1:14
  • When I wrote HaShem does not explicitly control free will, I meant it like this: We have no ability to do anything ourselves, whatever we do is because HaShem lets us. However, HaShem lets us go in whatever direction we choose.
    – Rafael
    Dec 4, 2017 at 1:08
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    I still think there is some contradiction with this mode of thinking. Its sort of botched from the starting place, as if there are two wills somehow operating seperately and each on the same level. What do you thnk human will is and how does it operate? Is it desire, thought, action, propulsion? Where does it reside? in the soul, the mind, the brain, the instinct? Then what do you think the will of HaShem is? How does it operate?
    – gamliela
    Dec 4, 2017 at 23:36
  • probably we should have taken this to chat but I really dont want to discuss it. In conversations like this about human will and s greater will I feel like its a comparison between a water tank and the Atlantic Ocean or something like that. I'm sorry for all the temptation by questions in my comments.
    – gamliela
    Dec 6, 2017 at 13:07
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On the ultimate level nothing exists except Hashem Who is undivided, simple, true. Pure actuality with no potentiality. A goodhearted person feasts perpetually on the Presence of Hashem always with us. Hashem runs everything, creates everything, no man's will or nature runs things.

As the ultimate emes is Hashem, ein od milvado, the ultimate sheker is aetheism.

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