[Avodah] An old Pshat and a Question About Milchig on Shavuos

[Samuel Svarc]

A short recap.
R' Joel Rich asked, "Do malachim have free will to protest hkb"h's actions?"
to which I replied, "Why would you think otherwise?... AFAIK, only that the
malachs knowledge is on a much clearer level, but this doesn't preclude them
from choosing to disobey." Implicit in my words is the understanding that
under regular circumstances a malach wouldn't choose to disobey, his clearer
knowledge would stop him. (The closest parallel is Adam HaRishon, who
clearly had no internal Yetzor Hara, whose understanding of Hashem was at
least at the level of malochim, & who still chose to disobey through the
exercise of his bechirah.)

R' Micha responded, "The Or Samei'ach says it does... This is discussed at
length in the Or Samayach's essay /detour in Hil Teshuvah title "HaKol
Tzafui vehaReshus Nesunah". (As is the question of bechirah and Hashem's
omniscience. A gold mine.) I think he also discusses it in the Meshekh
Chokhmah on Yisro."

I understood this to mean that a malach is b'teva unable to disobey. IOW,
his creation is such that it is without bechirah, comparable to a rock that
has no bechirah.

R' Micha then kindly sent me the OS. After learning it, it is clear to me
that my formulation for a malach's bechira is from the OS (and my Rebbeim
were basing themselfes on him or similar shittas).

The OS words are," והנה אם אנו נאמר כי האישים הרוחנים (המלאכים) המה מוכרחים
אינו מידיעת הבורא הקודמת המכרחת, רק מה שהם רוחנים בלא חומר, ומשיגים הבורא עד
תכלית השגתם, וזעים וחלים מפניו, זהו גופא סיבה אל בחירתם בהכרח בטוב, וזה כבוד
להשי"ת, אבל לא שנאמר שכבוד הוא להשם בהכרח מידיעותו הקודמת,". "Vheina, im anu
neimar ki haishim haruchnim (hamalochim) hamo muchrochim, eino myediyas
haborei hakodeimos hamuchrachos, rak mah sheim ruchnayim blo chomar,
v'masigim haborie at tachlis hasugosom, v'zeim v'cholim m'ponov, v'zah gufo
sibo al bechirosom b;heichreich b'dov..."AISI, the OS is explicitly saying
like me. A malach intrinsically *does* have bechirah and it's the higher
level of his knowledge that keeps him from disobeying. As well, a careful
reading of the Rambam Hilchos Yesodie Hatorah Perek 2 Halacha 9 (8) is
certainly mashma that a malach is only different in terms of knowledge.

KT, 
MSS

P.S. I hope over Shabbos to be able to look at the gemoro that was
referenced.