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Pirkei Avos #39: Yediah and Bechira II
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
So welcome back everyone. I think this
might be the last sh inim
really. We finished reading the text
inside
and um the eighth peri
explores the idea the isoid of
great length. Um
and uh the point obviously that the Ram
is trying to get to is to prove that
not only to prove but to to you know to
discuss this in depth that we should
understand that a person is a person has
free will to act however he chooses and
he's not being manipulated um or
compelled or controlled, dictated,
determined
um to do to do anything and his all his
actions are in his control and therefore
you can tell him it's incumbent upon him
to um put himself in the position to to
to be to choose life and choosing life
is not choosing um mundane animalistic
life but it's choosing real life
authentic life eternal life and the way
a person chooses eternity is by
following the Tory and not only
following the Torah just as a by the way
but
as he discussed in Per and that is that
every single action that a person does
should be in consciously and and um and
and in in in a weird way
that would make him refine himself and
grow and develop until a point where he
could connect to eternity through his
mind through his intellect and because
that's ultimately what makes a person
Adamas
the suras is his mind and a person that
doesn't use his mind and not only
doesn't use his
A person that doesn't use his mind to
connect to the truth and the only truth
that there really is in the world is the
only self um suffic self um um
self-living u um um entity in the world
which is the himself and that is really
that is the tlas of a person and this
lifestyle a lifestyle that that uh that
that connects a person to the to
eternity that is that is
And that is what the expects of us and
demands from us via our free will. Um
so that's why free will is is is so
important.
Now
the Ram finishes off with a question
that he does not want to talk about. he
wants to avoid but he can't because he
knows that everyone everyone knows of
this problem and uh you can't discuss
without also um engaging in this
question and that is the fact that
Hashem knows everything.
Now
that's what we call right. So you have
you have you have a paradox in which
Hashem knows what your your your choice
is going to be and at the same time he
pretends that you um
you know that that that you have free
will. So you have two things that
seemingly contradict each other. On the
one hand we have now the fact that we
have we established
from science from logic in in in in in
in in our senses they all establish
without any reason of doubt that we do
have free will and we act based upon
free will. We see the world through the
lens of free will. That's how we
experience life. So free will is well
established. Now the fact that Hashem
knows what we're going to do that is an
axiom that seems elementary right that
now we could prove that also right? We
can prove it from the fact that Hashem
can't attain add new information just
because if he attains new information,
it means that yesterday was lacking
information. So 1 plus 1 equals that
Hashem knows everything that's going to
happen. So if Hashem knows everything
that's going to happen. So if you're
going to eat, if you're going to yell at
your kids or you're going to get angry
or be whatever it is, Hashem saw the
script. If Hashem knows the script and
Hashem knows it before time, now
obviously the way the way a lot of a lot
of us are used to discussing is that
being that Hashem is the I don't think
that that is really the crux of the I
mean that might also be true, but it's
not really what where it's at. Where
it's at is is that Hashem knows all the
information because there can't be any
information that he doesn't know.
So
the the mechanism could be you know
obviously but it's not really where it's
at anyway. So being that Hashem knows
what you're going to do. So now you have
two options. Let's say Hashem knows I'm
going to eat. So if you say that I have
that means that when I say I want to
eat, right? I'm tempted. Will I eat or
won't I eat? Now I think I have
the Torah says I have the problem is
that that that Hashem knows. So could I
could I make a choice that Hashem
doesn't know? So if I say that I can't
make such a choice and Hashem's idea is
absolute is absolute then I don't really
have free will. I might think I have
free will but I don't have free will
because free will means that I could
choose yes and I could choose no. If no
is not a real option then you don't have
if you don't have then tora falls apart
and that established very well there is
no tora and it's not only it's not only
there's no tora from our perspective
there is no inherent value of a tora
where there's no free will it doesn't
make any sense in other words if there
is no real free will then then then this
whole thing is a joke it's a sham it's
it's it's a scam it's injust in in the
most basic level. It it it's unjust
because you're punishing people that
didn't do anything wrong. You're
punishing people that didn't really
really have any choice and and you're
rewarding people for no reason. It's
just it's a it's a silly game that it's
not clear who's gaining off this whole
charade. So, so, so,
so this is where we're stuck right now.
Anytime you have such a problem
you
there are three options
we come from right we have two there are
two premises right there are two two
axioms that seemingly that we don't
really want to give up on any of them
and the truth is we can't so if you
could so that's really these are our
three options
two options are give up on one of these
two things so either you could give up
on or you give up
So say that is not really or is not
really right you can say one of these
two things. Third option is to
compromise um which a compromise is
really going to mean that really is not
and is not. So these are the three
options right. So from it's safe I think
that in the last thousand years any
serious Jewish thinker this explores
this topic um and has a mahalik and and
they're very unique right everyone has a
different take it from
to obviously the raam as we saw the
rivet and um you have
a barbanel
um theodic
is
um
they all
they all discuss this and everyone has
his own take and I'm not going to
attempt to go through all the mal now
I'm not going I'm not going I'm not
going to do it at all we're learning
raam I want to present the ram's um um
the raam's perspective and again I am I
I am a little coming from my own u um um
um view So don't take it you know you
should obviously see the Ram yourself.
Now the Ram talks about in a few places
and innovate
and see what the rivet says. So the says
like this
you'll say
knows everything that's going to happen
before it happened.
Does he know that he's going to beadic
and a Russian? Does he know that is
going to be a Russian or he doesn't
know? You have two options. You have to
pick one of them. Okay.
If Hashem knows that
Hashem knows that he's going to beadic,
then he cannot beadic because Hashem's
knowledge is absolute and it's true and
it's fact. So, and it's real. So, if
Hashem knows he's going to be, he has to
beadic.
We have and if you say that Hashem knows
he's going to be Hashem's knowledge does
not force him to be and really even
though Hashem knows he's going to beadic
he still has the free will to be
then Hashem's knowledge is not real and
it's not certain and it's not and it's
not it's not really it's not really
knowing what's knowing about knowing if
you don't really know
the a says the Rama
You should know
the answer to this question is as vast
and great as the oceans.
which is obvious and it's it's obvious
in a way that if you have 12 to answer
the problem of from going to the ram to
the to we said to to
the you have you could have 12 mim every
mahal is not only
giving you a a a way to maneuver this
problem of the the fallout of whatever
your solution is is very very
farreaching because it really the the
the the effects of the way you you you
you look at this right because if you
choose to compromise on on right then
then the outcome is that you wake up to
a very different world you don't wake up
to the same world where is absolute
right so if you compromise on really is
an illusion
which is what the hashem seems to be
saying that really hashem is not that is
obviously true it's just only um you
know it's from the exper it's from our
experience basically that really hashem
knows and hashem's knowledge is absolute
but I I do the Torah says I have yeah
you have your experience is so nothing
beyond your experience so you you might
experience and you're judged based on
your experience now if that's true then
then think about a world where really
it's like sort of the matrix where where
where where you're plugged in and
everything you do is predetermined just
you think you have
I think a tremendous amount of problems
um Benel's answer to that is that you
thought that you're going to you're
going to solve one issue but you created
a thousand other issues which I think is
mamish matim right because yeah you
solve the fact that hashem's knowledge
is absolute and really I don't but you
woke up the next day to a that doesn't
really and the whole thing is in our
imagination and therefore like
it doesn't make any sense the whole
thing doesn't make any sense why would
hashem give pre-programmed
robots ty mitas and then judge them for
it. It doesn't it's it's a sad almost
right. So so that's why this is mamish
is very fundamental because the way we
choose to answer this problem is going
to open up our you know the the we're
going to have to deal with with the fall
out of it. Okay
says the ram listen to what I have to
say.
his name, all his faculties, all his
whatever it is they there are not things
that are external to him. They are all
part of the essence of elus. They are
all one with him. And whereas by a
person you have him and his mind. Hashem
him and his mind are one. And basically
I'm not going to read the whole thing
inside.
And he says that a person can't
understand this to its to its depth. And
just like a person can't understand the
the essence of Hashem's existence of
Hashem of the nature of Hashem's being
because that's something that obviously
is beyond our capacity because Hashem is
infinite and and we are very very
finite. We are very limited and so we
can't really understand Hashem just like
we can't understand the nature of
Hashem's own existence. We can't
understand it the nature of his
knowledge because his knowledge and his
existence are one of the same. Let's
just explain why. Because if you
separate these two things then you have
Hashem and his knowledge. You have two
gods. you have and and you have Hashem
his knowledge and his strength and and
his and his
and and his compassion. Then you have 18
gods and a thousand which is the the
world of polytheism and um which is
against the t of so we're not we're not
going there. So we when we talk about
Hashem being
and and anda
all these things are within the the
essence of Hashem's own being what does
that mean? I don't know. You don't know.
No one knows. And like the philosopher
says
if I would know if I would know him I
would be him. So um so this is something
we we we we can't understand. So if we
can't understand the way Hashem's is
then
then what you going to do? You can't
understand the raid doesn't like this at
all. The rabbit says and this is just
beautiful because this um this line in
the rabbit is you could say for so many
things you could say for almost this
whole conversation I think would be very
appropriate. So the rabbit says like
this
did not act in a way of wise people.
Why?
A person doesn't start something and he
can't that that he can't finish. Right?
If you can't if you can't if you can't
go through this all the way then don't
start. You you brought you open the can
of worms and you have no way of closing
it and you have no way of of of
controlling it. Right? So you brought up
a question which is a very difficult
question and what's your answer? What
did you answer? You asked me that it
seems to be that you have two of these
axioms that contradict each other in the
most basic level. Does Hashem know what
I'm going to do? If Hashem knows what
I'm going to do, how do I have free
choice? And what do you answer me? Says
says derive it.
He left it.
And the way the Ram gets out of this is
he goes back to faith. Right? So the Ram
says Hashem's mind is greater than
yours. So don't think about it.
means you can't understand if I can't so
again
there are people that don't ask cautious
okay why don't they ask questions
because they have a fine so they accept
everything these people never had a ka
now then you have people that have kas
these people you don't have an answer
for because you took them back to faith
so who exactly did you help with this
whole nobody not that's what the rabbit
says
and don't bring their attention to the
and then you leave them with with the
sophic
and then the raid goes on to give his
own answer. He says even though I don't
have a good answer for this I have
somewhat of an answer and his answer is
similar to some other and his answer
sort of is that Hashem's knowledge is
not what dictates you to do it. Hashem's
knowledge is is is is is
in a way of a forecast. So, Hashem sees
the future. So, it's not that Hashem
sees now like sort of there's a script
and and Hashem's knowledge now dictates
what you have to do and therefore you
don't really have free choice and you're
a robot that you're just following the
script that you know that's that that's
no, you have free will. Just Hashem is
above the whole thing and he sees the
future just like sort of just like when
someone sees the past. When I know the
past, does that mean that I dictate the
past? No. The past is independent of my
knowledge. Something happened and
whatever happened the person had
absolute free will. I just know what
happened because I saw it. I I saw a
videotape. The same thing, Hashem's
knowledge before is the same thing. You
have free will. You can do whatever you
do. You can do whatever you want. Just
Hashem happens to know about it. And
that doesn't in any way contradict your
free will, which is problematic because
if I can't do any if I if I can't go
against the script, then I don't really
have free will. And you're going back to
that whatever. Anyway, so
so this is derive's attack on the ramen.
But I think when we when the ra it could
be that the rabb
um and that's not what the ra is saying
the t the raom like this that the ra
there's a conversation
only one of these things to be could be
true and both of them are true what do
we do so the raom says I don't know
hashem hashem is bigger than you now
that's not really what the the ram is
Well, the Ram saying is is as follows.
You know, before that, there's something
that that that I want to I want I want
to put out there. What bothers I said
yesterday that that that something
bothers me about this question. What
bothers me about this question is is
that
a few things. First of all, people
assume that Hashem of the future is is
is to mess and I don't think it's true.
I if we have to understand and this is
what the Ram explored already what we
saw is that
is not something that we could negotiate
with. Okay is if you take away there is
no there's nothing the entire world is
is is on its head there's no there's no
there's nothing no mitz no nothing so is
absolutely critical now it's not only
critical because of the fact that you
lose the entire and the point of the
first of all says
okay so you know in the way he always
establishes something is
It means logic. The way he proves things
is is in in this order. Logic what does
it say and what will we so you could
prove through this system right?
Logically
we all experience we all we all live in
a world with free will and that's the
way we we we we look at the world. So we
know that there's free will. Now it says
in the
Hashem says we have so Hashem says we
have and we say we have so we all know
we have so and and not only that and the
outcome of saying that we don't have is
something that's that's absolutely
unacceptable in every level. So now is
is if you have two unmovable objects
first let's establish and that's always
we have to do we have a
means when two people argue over
something.
So the question is is there a mos that's
always a question is there someone who
is there someone who's holding on to it
because then we could say to the other
person
so that I think when we have two of
these things you have who is and I think
that's really what the is saying but I I
want to what is what is the established
fact that we can't deny because really
you can ask the question in two ways one
is
one is how can I have if knows right
doesm know or does Hashem not know? So
if if Hashem knows what I'm going to do
and you the the mathematical conclusion
says that Hashem knows what I'm going to
do then how could I have that's one
question and that's the way the question
is usually asked. What bothered me about
this question is is that it's that it's
the wrong way to ask the question. The
reason why it's the wrong way to ask the
question is is because
is something that we know intuitively
and whenever you know something
intuitively that should be
non-negotiable. I know that from my own
experience. Now the question be asked
very differently. If I have and that is
absolutely established
then how could Hashm know? Oh that's a
really very different question. How
could if if the if I have and I the fact
that I have free will is absolutely
non-negotiable then how does Hashem know
what I'm going to do? So the Ram answers
is I don't know.
That's it. It's all conversation.
Let me explain better. I'm sorry that
I'm I'm I'm I'm a little like bogged
down with my thoughts, but
I'm going to back I'm going to go back
to something I started before.
You'll be very surprised to know that
the fact that Hashem knows what you're
going to do tomorrow.
Play like this. My friend called me
today. He lives in Oaken Vine. Dear
friend Baw and he told me that there are
missionaries going around Oakine. By the
way, if you live in Okvine, they're
giving out a whole bunch of garbage.
Throw it out. Anyway, so they're giving
out their garbage over there in Okine.
Now,
um,
so I remember I used to I used to argue
with with these missionaries sometimes
and there's there's a very there's a
very interesting question that that I
would always ask. Um, and that is and
it's a very interesting thing to think
about.
How do you know what's important in the
Tyra? We have Tanakh. How do you know
what's important? How do we know what
what the values what the core what the
core values of Judaism are? So I think
the way we could establish it let's say
Shabas
these things how do I know that these
these things are fundamental say that
someone who's
someone who is why is that different
than shness? Why is that different?
Because there's there's you see the way
things are stressed. If I say something
once is very different than I say
something 48 50 100 times. There are
certain messages that every time they
talk about like
right you have to be kind and good and
that that hashem doesn't want he wants
you to be good and and whatever and so
on and so forth. So that's how I know I
know certain things in the in the
missionary is it's it's it's important
because when when um there are so many
nvu it's about the end of days hardly
any of them are about the person of
Mashia which proves the point that
really the no is not really concerned
about the persona of Mashia per se more
about the messianic age and that has a
lot of ramifications when you're talking
to a Christian but the point over here
is you have an entire Hashem talks to us
through
coming up now all these sorts of are and
then you
You have so many
I don't know if there's a single in the
entire that says that Hashem knows what
you're going to do tomorrow. Not one.
And I'm willing to have this debate. And
if you have one, I'll bet that there are
classic on the page that learn that that
don't learn it like that. Think about
it. You have an entire Tanakh. Not a
single puzz.
How many sukim say that you have free
will? I'm not they're besides
the entire Tanakh is is built and
leaning on the on the on the idea and on
the axim and on the world view that you
have free will. So the entire Tanakh is
resting on it all screams loud and clear
that you have you're going to be treated
the way you you the way you choose. And
not once in the entire book does the
does Tanakh say that I know what you're
going to do tomorrow. Which means that
this is not a Jewish idea. Okay? This is
not something that comes from within the
fact that Hashem knows it's not only the
and even though you think that that's
only it's not when it says in in that
Hashem knows he's talking about the
present. Hashem knows what you do under
in in your you can't hide no matter
where you go. Hashem knows what you're
going to do. What you're doing what
you're doing now in the present. But
what you're going to do tomorrow
it doesn't say anyway. So we have to
approach this question. I I think that
there's there's there's there's there's
a very big question, right? the question
of
which is the the most problematic um the
biggest it's it's the biggest question
on period right if the Torah says that
XYZ right and the problem is it doesn't
it's not true just right
and there's a entire
for this question for Eve
You have that deals with this question
extensively. You have
addresses this question. Addresses this
question. This is a a fundamental
problem with a tyrant. Okay? This is now
this is a Jewish question. What I mean
is is that here is something that Hashem
told me and this is my experience.
Right? So this is and this is and and it
just doesn't add up. So
is something that that um
that
that I
that I can ask because because you told
me that it should work a certain way and
it doesn't. Now
is posed in the same way and I don't
think deserves the same place because
the fact that that I know what you're
going to do tomorrow is something that
Hashem never told us. And therefore,
it's not important to me. If aid comes
to me and he tells me, I don't believe
Hashem knows what I'm going to do
tomorrow. I don't think there's anything
lacking in his Judaism. I I think he's a
just opposite. I think that he's there's
no mitzvah to believe that Hashem knows
what I'm going to do tomorrow. Now, you
could say that that that philosophically
someone who says that Hashem doesn't
know what I'm going to do tomorrow is
implying that Hashem is lacking and
Hashem is limited and therefore there's
a problem.
No. No. Okay. I'm not I don't get
emotionally. You could say the same
thing by anyone who thinks that Hashem
loves anything or Hashem if if you say
that that Hashem answered your then
really what you're saying is is that
Hashem reacted and Hashem can't react.
Once you go into philosophy, there's
there's an entire world of philosophy
that half of your Judaism according to
the philosophers is is is is problematic
because the way you perceive and you
think and you imagine Hashem to be is
all idolatry. I don't care about that.
I'm not a philosopher. I don't I I open
a I open a Torah and I do as like what
it says in the Torah. Now in the Torah I
know the Torah tells me you have free
will. You you should do whatever and and
you're responsible for your outcomes and
and so on and so forth. That's what the
Torah says. The Torah never tells me
that I know what you're going to do. And
even by the way in the entire
midrashim there is so much literature
from there's three how many times do
even you know the
most don't even know
but many learn
how many so there's a there are I'm not
saying there isn't but you we're talking
about we we have to understand how how
um how how unimportant it is for
yiddeshkite and
this
knows what you're going to do tomorrow.
It's just not it's unimportant. So,
let's go back. Let's backtrack a little.
The entire Yiddish kite is built on this
of you have free will and this is
something that we shouldn't and we can't
compromise because if you do the outcome
is that you could close the book and
just it means you're living in a
simulation and a sim the doesn't give me
the impression I live in a simulation. I
don't think I live in a simulation and I
don't want to believe in a that it's
just some that tell I just don't want to
be part of it. I it doesn't make any
sense to me. It doesn't make sense not
only to me it doesn't make sense to most
classic
now.
So now the question is like this the is
because is something that I know I
experience I feel and it's something
that told me himself.
So here is now I come to the my
philosophical tells me that
mathematically it has to be that knows
what I'm going to do tomorrow. What says
look
I know I know how works I not only I
don't know how it works. It is something
that I inherently do not have the
capacity to begin to understand. So,
you're asking me something that I know
and I experience and I know for fact to
be true. You're asking me how could this
be true? There's some there's some
theoretical mathematical argument that
would imply that it can't be true. I
don't understand that. If it's something
that I could understand is one thing. If
it's something that other people
understand and punct.
But there's something that is impossible
for anyone to understand including no
one. Nobody can understand the idea of
not the idea of the nature of. So you're
asking me something that I can't and
don't understand and you want to say
that because of that I can't I I don't
have that's ridiculous. It doesn't work
logically that you can't make such an
argument. You can't ask on something
that you know and experience. You know
for a fact you can if so if there are
two things that you know at the same
time and they both have equal weight and
they both you can experience both of
them equally then these two things
contradict each other. Maybe we have to
compromise one one one or the other.
What the Raman says is that I know fine.
I don't know. I don't even know what it
is. And you don't know what it is. So
why you pretending like you know what it
is? He's not the right says he's
running. He's hiding behind the moon.
He's not hiding behind behind the moon.
He's saying that logically you're asking
a flawed question
because you're asking on something that
you don't yourself understand. And
whenever you ask something that you
don't yourself understand, it's just
it's just I don't know. So I I don't
have to know. If I would know all other
components and the mechanics of Hashem
then and this would be a blind spot fine
I would have to deal with it and maybe I
would have come up with all fancy
terutim but being that the entirety of
Hashem we don't understand we can't
understand
so so I just I just I don't have to deal
with it I not only I don't have to deal
with it I don't have the capacity to
deal with the question so I don't really
so instead of answering the question the
Ram says that the question is
illegitimate question that's what the
Ram is saying it's not a legitimate
question
and And that's
so whereas most that deal with this
problem compromise either or or and by
the way most of them compromising the
only one that I know that really really
compromises in ine
otherwise most I'm talking about the
classic
and maybe even and um
clearly says that hashem does not have
you he just I'm sorry he doesn't have on
what anything that's to Hashem doesn't
know how could Hashem not know he
doesn't know now you're going into many
this um um um they all the many
that that you know each one of them in
their own or like the we saw before that
hashem know sees it but the Hashem
seeing it as as a as foreshadowing sort
of is um does not necessarily dictate
you just like you know if you offer I
don't want to go into other alternative
mal I don't want to we're learning gramm
now and I'm very comfortable to stay
here because otherwise I think we can
give a series of like 15 20 30 40 and go
through every single of the and you know
we could go through them and what's
problematic with each individual these
are conversations that we could
definitely have but back to the ra
um the ra instead of answering the
question he doesn't really hide like I
think the rabbid implies the ra says
that it's not a legitimate question and
um therefore what we know and that's how
the ra finishes off he says
we don't know how knows his creatures
but what we do know is
that a person has free will
doesn't compel him and he doesn't
dictate.
And we don't only know this because
that's what it says in the holy book.
We know this logically. We know this
philosophically. We know this without
any shadow of doubt that we have free
will.
That's why the says in the say that a
person is judged based on his based on
his actions.
And this is the foundation of the entire
entire
so I think it's very clear what the Ram
is saying and um and I think that uh I
think that uh this we'll we'll we'll
we'll we'll finish it off with this and
the the the outcome obviously is that we
we should know and with this we finish
And we'll see about the next project
when you know when we get there. But the
idea is that a person has to know that
the message of the entire is that Hashem
put us in this world and gave us free
will and that's the most magical thing
in the world. like the the Ram quotes
from
um
and that is that a person is the only
thing in this world that has his own
independent
um um choice and we therefore we that is
sort of the the the what makes us unique
what makes us
he's the only he's unique man is unique
in in that way and therefore we have to
take that responsibility and we can't
blame anything you can't blame any
circumstantial any you can't blame
anything. We have to take responsibility
in in in our own lives and um make
ourselves a mench and man up to the task
and um grow and start you know where
ends begins and so that is sort of the
opening to and the message of is to
shape up and we have all different all
different all different ways how we can
work on ourselves and and eventually on
our and attain