Question: Before a human being is created, Hashem decides whether the individual will be wise or foolish, handsome or unsightly, etc. If so, why do we not say that Hashem decides if the individual will be righteous or wicked such that man will not be held accountable for his Mitzvah observance, for he will not be able to decide between good and bad as a result of his natural tendencies?
Answer: The Torah (Devarim 30) states: “See that I have placed before you today life and goodness as well as death and evil.” The Torah explains that every person has the free choice to go in either a good or an evil path. If one decides to follow the good path, he shall be rewarded handsomely based on his efforts and his importance, as the Mishnah in Avot (Chapter 5) states, “Based on one’s suffering is the greatness of one’s reward.” Although Hashem certainly creates every individual with distinct character traits, for some are quicker to anger than others while some are more fond of money than others and these traits make one more susceptible to certain sins, such as theft, taking interest, and the like, nevertheless, one natural tendencies are never so great that one will not be able overcome his Evil Inclination. One is therefore obligated to overcome this Evil Inclination; in this way, one’s reward will certainly be very great and even greater than another individual who was born with more positive and beneficial character traits.
Furthermore, the Mishnah in Avot (Chapter 3) states: “Everything is seen and permission is granted.” The great Rambam explains this to mean that everything is being watched by Hashem, for Hashem knows everything that transpires. The Mishnah then continues to teach us that one should not think that just because Hashem already knows whatever will be that one has no free choice, for this is not the case; rather, man is granted permission to do as he pleases. Likewise, the Gemara (Niddah 16b) states: “Rabbi Chanina bar Papa expounded: The angel in charge of pregnancy is called “Layla” (night) takes the drop which an individual is formed from and brings it before Hashem. He asks: ‘Master of the World! What will be of this drop? Will it be mighty or weak? Will it be wise or foolish? Will it be wealthy or poor?’ However, the angel does not ask if the child will be righteous or wicked, just as Rabbi Chanina would say, ‘Everything is in Heaven’s hands besides for fear of Heaven.’” Rashi comments: “All of an individual’s traits and happenings are subject to a Heavenly decree besides for one’s fear of Heaven regarding which one decides on his own.”
Indeed, the Rambam (Chapter 5 of Hilchot Teshuva) writes as follows: “Permission is granted to every individual to either follow a good path and be righteous or to follow an evil path and be wicked. No one can prevent a person from being either good or bad. Do not be swayed by some fools who say that Hashem has decreed before man’s creation whether he will be righteous or wicked, for this is not so; rather, every person has the ability to be as righteous as Moshe Rabbeinu or as wicked as Yarov’am (King of Israel) or to be wise or foolish, merciful or cruel, stingy or generous and so on and so forth regarding all character traits. No one can force a person, decree upon him, or pull him to any one of the two paths. Only the individual himself can decide to follow which ever path he chooses.” After discussing this matter lengthily, the Rambam concludes, “This idea is a truly fundamental point and it is the pillar of the entire Torah and Mitzvot.”
