To Beseech a Ba’al Bechirah

Before going further, however, I wanted to first address a question that someone else asked me. We know, of course, that one is not allowed to bow to, beseech or beg any live or inanimate object to help one in any way. This is idol worship. Our prayers and beseeching are only directed to Hashem. Yet this is not the case regarding another person who is in a position to help or harm. One is allowed to beseech, beg or cry out to them to help or refrain from harming. What is the difference? If we say that man has the freedom of choice to harm or help even if it was not so decreed by Shomayim (Heaven), not as we had said, it can be understood. One is appealing to one who has freedom of choice, not dependent on Heavenly decrees. This was the question on what we had said.

I never said that a person doesn’t have bechirah. Of course he does. What I did say was that a person can’t carry out his bechirah unless it was nigzar (decreed) from Shomayim.

The Gra

An ofen (case) where pleading to a ba’al bechirah (Reuven) would help (Shimon) is in the following scenario. Indeed, it was decreed from Shomayim. However, as we quoted from the Gra

in Part I “Regarding a ba’al bechirah, it is not ascertained which ba’al bechirah will do him good or bad. However, if it is not decreed in Heaven, no ba’al bechirah will be able to do anything.”

Rav Yitzchok

We also have a rule, again mentioned in Part I, that “Even if a sharp sword is upon a person’s neck he should not refrain from asking Hashem for mercy.”

We also pasken

like Rav Yitzchok that tz’akah (crying out to Hashem) helps even after a g’zar din (edict).

To Gain Time

Therefore, beseeching and pleading to a ba’al bechirah works in the following manner even if there was a g’zar din from Shomayim. As the above Gra stated, a ba’al bechirah might or might not carry out the g’zar din. Therefore, the victim’s pleading and beseeching might cause the ba’al bechirah not to harm him. However, since there is a g’zar din on him, Hashem has other means or ba’alei bechirah to carry out the din. However, Shimon now has time to daven and be tzo’eik as per the Gemara in Brachos and as per Rav Yitzchok and thereby avert the gezeirah altogether.

Another Question

Another question was brought up. We say that no one can do anything without a gezeirah min Hashomayim and that when Reuven kills Shimon it is because it was nigzar that Shimon be killed. Yet Reuven had bechirah. Therefore, it would seem that if Reuven would have chosen not to kill Shimon that Shimon would have somehow been killed anyway, since it was nigzar. “Would a rock have suddenly come flying in the air and crush Shimon’s skull?”

Truth be told, this is a question that I’ve often thought about – the time factor change if Reuven decides not to harm Shimon even though there is such an edict on Shimon.

Lulianus and Pappus

However, the difference in time factor does not seem to come into play. See the Gemara

that Turynus the Roman governor taunted Lulianus and Pappus, two brothers, “Let your G-d come and save you from me.” They answered him, ‘We have evidently been decreed against by Shomayim to be killed. If you do not kill us, Hashem has many messengers to do the job … many bears … many lions … however, Hashem gave us over in your hands in order to avenge our blood against you.” Nevertheless he killed them. Not one of the people there had left before two officers came from Rome bearing an imperial edict and split open Turynus’s skull.”

If Turynus would not have killed them the bears or lions would have done so. However, there were no bears or lions in the palace at the time. It would have had to happen at a different time. Evidently then difference in time for some reason is not a factor.

Yedi’ah U’Bechirah

The answers and clarifications to all this are as follows.

It involves a concept which is difficult to comprehend. It is the concept of “yedi’ah and bechirah.” We know that man has complete bechirah. At the same time, however, we also know that Hashem has the yedi’ah (knowledge) of which way man will be bocher. The difficulty in understanding this is that how can a person be bocher differently than Hashem’s knowledge?

Rav Dessler zt”l

The Sifsei Chaim brings the words of Rav Dessler z”l

that Hashem chooses someone whom Hashem knows will carry out the deed that Hashem wants done. “Hashem ‘uses’ His knowledge of the future that Reuven will indeed be bocher to kill Shimon, in order to carry out the edict on Shimon that he will be killed. Yet Reuven has full bechirah.” We can only have knowledge of the past. Hashem, however, also has knowledge of what will be in the future. To repeat once again, this knowledge does not interfere in the slightest with Reuven’s bechirah. This is the answer to what the brothers stated before. Conceptually, the job could have been done by lions or bears. However, Hashem knew that Turynus would be bocher to do it and even had the avengers prepared nearby. Everything happened the way Hashem knew it would.

Going Further

The above was written in order to deal with two questions that were asked regarding what was written last time. The following is the “going further” mentioned in paragraph #1 above. The original question was, can a ba’al bechirah injure someone if there was no Heavenly edict against him.

A New Judgment

One is judged on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. However, it is stated that the soton accuses one when one is in danger (b’shaas hasakanah).

The potential, therefore, exists for there to be a new and different judgment in a time of danger than the one that was given during the Yomim Nora’im (the High Holy Days). The novelty of a ba’al bechirah is that he is a tzelem Elokim (in the image of G-d) and has bechirah, which is not the case by other dangers. He, therefore, is able to have input regarding the kitrug (accusations) of the soton, thereby adding potential danger to the one being judged. It is in this way that a ba’al bechirah can affect what happens to another.

Nevertheless, the decree itself can only come from Shomayim.

The Case of Yosef

There were many reasons why Yosef was placed into the hands of his brothers. It brought to fruition many aspects. It brought out the prophecy of Leah at the time of Reuven’s birth for which she named him. “See the difference between my son and the son of my father-in-law”

; it brought out the merit of Yehudah in that he said, “Ma betza (what gain will there be)”

for which Yaakov blessed him

; it revealed the deficiencies of Shimon and Levi who wanted to kill Yosef. It was for this reason that Yaakov did not bless them but cursed their anger.

It is not possible for one to correct a deficiency before he recognizes it as indeed being a fault; it was the beginning of the fulfillment of the eitzah amukah (deep advice) of Avrohom

; it was the beginning of the fixing for that which Yaakov said to Rochel, “Hatachas Elokim anochi (Am I instead of G-d).” Hashem told Yaakov, “Is this the way you answer an aggrieved person? By your life your other children will have to stand before her son.

The incident between Yehudah and Tomor from which Moshiach will come. The capture of Yosef had to happen.

Yet Another Way

There is perhaps somewhat of a question on the Zohar and the Ohr Hachaim here. They learn out from the Shevatim that one can harm another even if it is not ratzon (the will of) Hashem. However, the Shevatim would have never done anything if they knew it was against Hashem’s ratzon. If they would have known that it was against Hashem’s will they would not have plucked out a single hair. If so, how can this be brought as an example of the ability of a ba’al bechirah being able to do differently than the will of Hashem?

Different Criteria

Rather, Shomayim has different criteria for judging than courts on earth. One example would be that whereas a regular Beis Din (court) can mete out a death penalty once one is thirteen years old, Shomayim does not do so unless one is twenty. Indeed, Yosef was seventeen at the time. The Shevatim’s line of reasoning, therefore, was that actually for his crimes Yosef would have been punishable to death in Shomayim also, if not for the fact that Shomayim has different criteria for punishment. Since the Shevatim were an earthly Beis Din, they felt they had the right and responsibility to punish Yosef. However, one seemingly could not learn out from there that one could do something against the actual ratzon (will) of Shomayim.

¹ Sifsei Chaim, Emunah V’Hashgachah, p. 388; Oros HaGra, p. 301, s’if 1.

² Brachos 10a

³ Pachad Yitzchok, Rosh Hashanah

⁴ Rosh Hashanah 18a

⁵ Taanis 18b

⁶ The emperor’s (or other high official’s) daughter was found murdered. As has happened so often in our history, the Jews were accused and threatened with a pogrom unless they produced the murderer. To save the others, Lulianus and Pappus, two brothers, came forward and, though completely innocent, admitted to the crime. They were summarily executed. See Bava Basra 10b, “Those that were killed by the government (the Harugei Lod – Lulianus and Pappus) no one can stand on their level” except Talmidei Chachamim.

⁷ An interesting other point. The assassins who killed Turynus were evidently, at the time that he killed the two brothers, just a few minutes away. If Turynus would have opted not to kill the two brothers they would not have been able to kill Turynus and instead would have themselves been killed or a similar scenario. This is because there would not have been a cause for Hashem to avenge the two brothers.

⁸ See Sifsei Chaim (Horav Chaim Friedlander z”l) Sefer Pirkei Emunah V’Hashgachah p. 370-1.

⁹ We can’t go into this here and do it justice, but see Avos 3:19. “Hakol tzafui v’hareshus nesunah (Everything is foreseen yet the freedom of choice is given).” See the Rambam in Pirush Hamishnayos on this; Shmonei Perokim end of chp. 8; Rav Saadya Gaon, Ha’Emunos V’Hadei’os, ma’amar 4 chp. 4; Horivosh, Teshuvah 118.

¹⁰ Michtav M’Eliyahu vol. 4 p. 95.

¹¹ Rashi Deuteronomy 23:10

¹² It is this aspect that Chazal say that one who speaks lashon hora against another it’s as if he killed him. This is to be taken literally because, indeed, he is confirming the kitrug of the soton.

¹³ Eisav, son of Yitzchok – Rashi, Genesis 29:32.

¹⁴ Genesis 37:20

¹⁵ Rashi ibid 49:9

¹⁶ Genesis 49:7 and Rashi ibid :6

¹⁷ Rashi, ibid 37:14

¹⁸ Genesis Rabah 71:10.

¹⁹ Why should this bother Yaakov, especially since Yosef was his favorite son? Because it connotes that there will be a division between them.

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