Is Everything from Heaven? Free Will, Divine Decree, and Personal Responsibility in Judaism

Ahuva asks: "Hello, my name is Ahuva (a pseudonym), and my husband and I are blessed to be raising three little children in Israel. Because we are building a family, I find myself wrestling with questions of faith. One that comes up often is: what does it really mean that 'everything is from Heaven except the fear of Heaven'? It seems like every little decision we make influences the outcome in some way—so what exactly is from Heaven?

For example, if I need to catch a bus but choose to drink coffee and end up running late, causing me to miss the bus, was that decreed from Heaven? This applies even more to major life decisions, like whether to undergo a medical test or just believe that everything is from G-d regardless. I would be very grateful if you could help clarify this (for me and for us as a family). Thank you!"

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Dear Ahuva,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and important question. May G-d bless you and your family with endless joy and strength, and may you continue to raise a beautiful family grounded in faith and trust in G-d.

In answer to your question, we are responsible for our choices in life, but the outcomes of those choices are determined by Divine decree and are not entirely in our control.

As Joseph told his brothers: "You intended to harm me, but G-d intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20). The brothers thought they were punishing Joseph by selling him into slavery, but G-d orchestrated the entire series of events to ultimately elevate Joseph to become second-in-command in Egypt.

Does this mean the brothers weren’t at fault? Certainly not. Their intentions were still negative, and their actions were wrong. It would have been better had they not sinned. If it hadn’t been them, Joseph’s journey could have happened some other way—he might have been captured by traveling traders or brought to Egypt through some other means that didn’t involve his brothers. G-d arranges outcomes, but we still have free will, and we are responsible for our own part in the story.

As our sages taught: "Merit is brought about through the worthy, and guilt through the guilty" (Bava Batra 119). If someone steals from another person, the stolen item may have been decreed to be lost from the owner. However, the thief is still guilty, because he didn’t need to be the one to steal. G-d could have arranged the loss another way.

Regarding your example, if it was decreed from Heaven that you would miss the bus, then even if you hadn’t paused for coffee, something else would have come up to delay you. Because you chose to drink coffee and cause the delay, that became the means through which the decree was fulfilled. In such a case, you are responsible for the delay, because it came about through your free will.

This applies to all areas of life. It's important to recognize that everything is ultimately in G-d's hands (as our sages said: “A physician is given permission to heal”), but our actions—good or bad—are the vessels through which G-d orchestrates events. Our personal responsibility is always to strive to be good messengers, not damaging ones.

At the same time, it's essential to understand that sometimes a person brings harm upon themselves, not because it was decreed from the start, but due to neglect or irresponsibility. The Torah commands us: “You shall greatly guard your lives” (Deuteronomy 4:15). If someone knowingly takes a reckless risk such as climbing an unstable ladder or entering a clearly dangerous place, they may be injured not because it was originally decreed, but because they sinned through carelessness. In those cases, the damage may be a form of immediate spiritual consequence.

Even if such a person is saved, our tradition teaches that they may lose merit in exchange for that salvation. We are therefore told not to rely on miracles as we never know if we have enough merit to be saved. This applies specifically to recognizable dangers that we are clearly capable of avoiding.

The Mesillat Yesharim (Path of the Just) by the Ramchal explains this idea in Chapter 9: "Not only is he exposed to the natural danger of the act itself, but he also incurs guilt for knowingly endangering himself. This transgression brings its own punishment."

Regarding your question about medical decisions, if the issue involves a known risk, G-d wants us to protect ourselves using all means available to us, including medical care. As the Ramchal continues: "Where the danger is known and likely, we are obligated to protect ourselves. Where it is unknown or extremely rare, there is no reason to fear."

In summary, our belief contains both accountability and comfort:

• Accountability: We are responsible for our choices. Even though the outcomes are in G-d's hands, we should never allow our free will to become a tool for harm.

• Comfort: Everything, even our mistakes, are ultimately guided by Divine Providence. As the Talmud says: “A person does not even stub their toe down below unless it was decreed in Heaven” (Chullin 7). Even in our missteps or pain, there is purpose, and G-d is guiding every detail with justice and compassion.