[Avodah] God who knows the future

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Garry wrote:
> Let's say I'm in a comic book world, and Lex Luther or someone
> puts a copy of tomorrow's newspaper on my desk. (with a note saying
> "don't open until tomorrow")  I don't see how that has any effect
> on my actions or responsibilities today.  What I will do is already
> printed in the newspaper, but how are my choices (that's what we're
> talking about, isn't it? Choices?)  different or less free today
> because the newspaper is lying on my desk?

OHHH! You *don't* see how G-d's knowledge affects us! Neither do I!

For some reason, I totally misunderstood your question. I thought you were
coming from the other direction. I thought you were trying to understand
the distinction, when actually, you understand the distinction so well
that you are surprised that other people don't get it.

May I suggest that your problem is that you are looking at it
logically. Logically, you are totally correct -- regardless of whether
I actually read tomorrow's newspaper, I can still choose whatever I want.

But this isn't a logical point -- it is an emotional one. The newspaper is
sitting there, and in that newspaper is reliable documentation of things
that I have not yet done. It isn't logical, but I am struck with terror
by the situation. Sure, I may FEEL like I still have free choice, but do
I really? I can choose to turn left, or to turn right, and I can change
my mind a thousand times, but ultimately, I WILL do what it says in the
paper. Is that free choice, or is it merely an *illusion* of free choice?

Close your eyes, and REALLY imagine that the newspaper is sitting there
on your desk. Don't think with your brain, but feel it in your heart. Do
you still have free choice? You *will* ultimately choose whether to go
right or left, but was that choice really free, or were you forced to do
that, by some force that you can't even feel, a force that you wouldn't
even be aware of were it not for the newspaper sitting there.

If this thought experiment doesn't help you to see the other point of
view, then take comfort in the fact that your only loss is that you
do not understand the *mistake*. We know that we really do have free
choice, even in spite of HaShem's knowledge. Much better to understand
the correct view, than to understand the incorrect one.

Akiva Miller