Taking the topic of “Free Will versus Predetermination” a step further, there are those who question: If God is beyond limitation, and therefore knows everything, how can Judaism claim that we have Free Will? Or, in other words, how can we believe in Free Will if God knows what we\u2019re going to do?<\/p>\n
One approach to this question is the following:<\/p>\n
Imagine we have a book in front of us \u2013 the \u201cBook of Time.\u201d Each page in the book represents a moment in time, and this book includes all moments \u2013 from the beginning of time to the end of time.<\/p>\n
Each of us, being within the bounds of time, is \u201cinside\u201d the book.<\/p>\n
As each moment passes, we make a choice in the given scenario, which sets up the next scenario along with its set of options, and we make another choice, which sets up the next scenario along with its set of options, and so on.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say I\u2019m on \u201cpage 2010\u201d and I want to get to \u201cpage 2020.\u201d The way I\u2019m going to get from 2010 to 2020 is as follows: As time passes and scenarios in my life arise, I am involved in making my choices from among the options that present themselves.<\/p>\n
This is true for me (as well as any other member of humanity) because I exist within time; I am within the Book.<\/p>\n
But what about something that exists beyond the Book? What about something that exists beyond time? What about God?<\/p>\n
God, being outside the Book, is \u201cseeing\u201d these different moments in time \u2013 2010, 2020, and every other page in the Book \u2013 at once, similar to how you\u2019d view the edge of all the book\u2019s pages were the book to be closed.<\/p>\n