[Avodah] Rambam on free will

[Eli Turkel]

I gave a shiur on Rambam Moreh Nevuchim 3:17 on free will this shabbat
and a number of questions were raised

He says (Friedlander translation)
http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/gfp/gfp153.htm#page_285

"According to this principle man does what is in his power to do, by
his nature, his choice,
and his will; and his action is not due to any faculty created for the
purpose. All species of irrational
animals likewise move by their own free will. This is the Will of God;
that is to say, it is due to the
 eternal divine will that all living beings should move freely, and
that man should have power to
act according to his will or choice within the limits"

"The relation of Divine Providence is therefore not the same to all
men; the greater the human
perfection a person has attained, the greater the benefit he derives
from Divine Providence.
This benefit is very great in the case of prophets, and varies
according to the degree of their
prophetic faculty: as it varies in the case of pious and good men
according to their piety and uprightness."

1. He speaks of animals having free choice - what does that mean
2. Contrary to what I thought he does not say that only tzaddikim have
providence
but rather it is graduated with a continuum
3. In discussing the ampount of providence he adds
"and good men according to their piety and uprightness"
Thus, it seems that Rambam also accepts mitzvot alomg with intellect
as giving more providence.

4. On an aside I read from R Zadok where he attacks Rambam for
excluding animals from providence
except for species. However, in the same maamar he quotes several
times the Ari who says that
every that that Ramban says is true. The problem is that Ramban also
says that providence
does not go to indivisual anaimals but only to the species as Rambam says

-- 
Eli Turkel