If God Knows Everything, Do I Really Have Free Will? Jewish Philosophy Explained Part 1

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts.In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle one of the most profound philosophical questions in Judaism and theology: If God knows everything, including what choices I'm going to make, do I really have free will? After all, if God already knows what I'm going to choose, isn't my choice predetermined? This question has puzzled philosophers and theologians for centuries, but the answer may be simpler than you think.I start by explaining that just because God knows what you're going to choose doesn't stop you from making a free will choice. The key to understanding this lies in how God relates to time. From God's perspective, there is no time - God exists above time and beyond space. What was, what is, and what will be are all essentially the same to God, with no distinction between past, present, and future.To make this even clearer, I propose a thought experiment involving a time machine. Imagine you eat breakfast, and then I get into a time machine and go back ten minutes to watch you make your breakfast choices. I observe everything but don't interfere - I just watch. The fact that I know you chose Wheaties with a banana and orange juice doesn't mean you didn't have free will to make that decision. I just happen to know what you chose because in my timeline, it already happened. You're still making those choices yourself; I'm just observing from a different temporal perspective.Keep the questions coming! If you have a burning question about Judaism,Please email us at [email protected]📧Tune in to Dear Rabbi and uncover the wisdom behind Jewish customs and laws. 🎙️🌟Follow us for more:Website - https://www.joidenver.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenverFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenverYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenverPinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiySubscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi.Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️