It's all from above, but you have a choice.

January 12, 2018   

האמונה בהשגחה העליונה משמעותה, שהאדם מאמין כי כל דבר שקורה לו מכוּון מלמעלה. אם הצליח – זו 'סייעתא דשמיא' (סיוע משמים); אם נכשל, אף זו גזירה שנגזרה עליו ממרומים. אכן, האדם נדרש שלא לשבת בחיבוק ידיים וליצור כלי טבעי לברכה, אבל בסופו של דבר הכול נקבע שם למעלה.

Naturally, it is easier for a person to adopt this way of thinking when the things that happen to them are considered a 'higher power.'.

For example, he invested his money in some business, and suddenly a change occurred in the world and he lost his money. Here it is more acceptable to believe that this was a decree from heaven. But if the loss was caused by human actions - someone cheated him or stole from him - here, it seems, there is an address for placing the blame, and it is not in heaven but here on earth.

There is no contradiction.

The truth is that there is no difference between a 'higher power' and the actions of a person.

Our sages said: "Many are sent to the place." The Creator can use the forces of nature, animals, or humans to fulfill His will. If you are destined to lose a hundred shekels, this could happen by you losing the bill, forgetting it in your pants and it being destroyed in the laundry, a cat chewing it, or someone stealing it from you. All of these are but ways of fulfilling the Creator's will.

But here a question arises: as long as it is caused by natural forces or animals, there is no one to complain to; but when it is caused by the action of a person, does he not have free choice, and will he also be punished for his evil deeds? How can it be said that he is merely a messenger of the Supreme Providence?

It is explained in the Tanya that there are two distinct things here and there is no connection between them.

The person who was harmed should see this as a sign from heaven. He should take stock of himself and examine what he needs to correct. If the decree had not been passed on him, the harmer would not have been able to harm him. At the same time, the harmer will be punished for the "evil of his choice" - for choosing, in his free will, to be God's whip, and for the one whose evil made him the "messenger" of Providence to cause harm to others.

Punishment for a bad choice

That is why the Sages said, "Everyone who is angry is as if he is worshipping an idol." Being angry at another person indicates that you truly blame the actions of that offender. And isn't he merely a messenger of Providence, and if so, why be angry at him? The fact that he made a bad choice and will be punished for it is a matter between him and his Creator, and should not make you angry, just as you don't get angry at him when he hurts another person.

This complexity is also reflected in the plagues of Egypt.

The exile of the Israelites had already been decreed upon them in the covenant between the two parties with our forefather Abraham, but Pharaoh and Egypt were punished for choosing, through their free will, to enslave the Israelites and mistreat them.

They received their reward for their bad choice, while the Israelites were redeemed when the Creator decided to bring them out of slavery into freedom.