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Re:GENERAL: Free will - Hashgachah

Kollel Iyun Hadaf
Sun, 17 May 2009 06:26:14 -0700

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Re:GENERAL: Free will - Hashgachah

Dovi Schamroth asked:
>>I have been trying to do my own research in the topics of when do we say 
>>something is my responsibility and when does one say it is MiShamayim. I have 
>>seen many different sources from the the Rambam in H' Teshuva and Taanit, 
>>Ramban Eicha and "Keri, Ohr Hachayim on Yosef. However I still seem to find 
>>it tough to put everything together. We say that a person has free will and 
>>therefore he must be careful with his actions (Rambam H' Teshuva), yet it 
>>seems that we say that when we recieve something negative from a person we 
>>look at it as MiShamayim  (Ramba H' Taanis) and not that guys fault ((Shmirat 
>>Halashon Sha'ar Tvuna 8). How does this work? Do you have an article written 
>>on this subject that you can direct me to? If I hit someone I was responsible 
>>for the damage, yet that person must view my punch (which a momento ago we 
>>said was my cause) as being from heaven? How does this work?

The Kollel replied:
>>1. That each person has free choice.
>>2. That a person who suffers, does so because Hashem is punishing because of 
>>his sins.

-------------

Dovi Schamroth responded:

I had a chance to go over the sources and your explanation. I am really 
grateful for you directing me to the Rashi and your explanation. Thank you. 
Basically, Shimon would have fallen anyway, but Hashem used Reuven's choice of 
not puting up a Ma'ake to meet out the punishment on Shimon, and Reuven is 
Chayav for creating the situation.

I am also grateful for the others sources and explanation of David and Shimi 
ben Geira. The Chofetz Chayim only brings David's reaction as saying "Hashem 
told him to sin." which is why I quoted the Chofetz Chayim as saying Shimi  is 
not to blame. The rest of the story though is crucial. Thank you.

On another note - today in the Shabbat HaGadol Derosha, we had the Zehut of Rav 
Avraham Twerki speaking and he brough the Ohr Hachayim on Yosef. I went over it 
again to confirm and indeed the Ohr Hachayim (37:21) says that a person with 
his free choice can kill someone who was not deserving death. R' Twerski 
brought this when saying that everything is under Hashem's Hashgacha except for 
acts under the category of free choice which He left to our domain - and this 
could also include the results of that free choice. I was looking at the Maake 
sources and I saw that the Kli Yakar brought a similar opinion to Rashi and 
then brought a Yesh Omrim, that the requirement of putting up a Maake is in 
order to prevent damage to someone who is not ???? to fall. (When discussing 
this topic with my Rabbi, R' Danny Myers, he also quoted me a Tosfot I think in 
Ketubot that a person shouldn't walk next to a rickety wall and he said that 
the Tosfot there said that a person can die before his ti
 me).

Would this seem to be a Machloket? Am I learning this Sugya correctly? Either 
way, I would assume that even these opinions would also agree that there is no 
benefit to sit there blaming the other person and rather to to use it as an 
opportunity to see Hashgacha and Tikun Midot.

Please let me know if I am understanding this correctly. Thank you very much 
and Chag Kasher veSameach.

Dovi Schamroth
----------------------------
The Kollel replies:

As far as I can see, you have understood the points well. Regarding the last 
issue that you raised: Do you agree that someone who commits suicide has taken 
his life before his time? And what if he runs into a busy street without 
looking, gets run over and dies? Well, it seems to me that if he walks next to 
a rickety wall which falls on him, it is only one small stage further. Let's 
categorize these three sages as 

1. Deliberate suicide;
2. Unintentional but inevitable suicide;
3. Unintentional high-risk suicide.

I don't think that anybody will argue with that, since it concerns a person's 
choice of taking *his own* life. The Machlokes between the Or ha'Chayim and 
other commentaries is whether the Bechirah (freewill and choice) that a person 
possesses allows him to take *somebody else's* life prematurely, or not.

Be'Virchas Kol Tuv,
Eliezer Chrysler

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