Free Will vs. Divine Control: Can Our Choices Shape Our Destiny?

It is written: “Everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven.” This means that when it comes to material matters, we cannot fully determine what will happen to us.

On the other hand, we are also told “Nothing can stand in the way of willpower.” In general, much is spoken about will as the determining factor.

How do these ideas fit together? Can we really lead ourselves to specific outcomes, such as achieving a particular career or obtaining certain things? What role does human effort play in these decisions?

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Peace and blessings,

The phrase “Nothing can stand in the way of willpower” does not appear in our classic sources. It seems to be a saying that originated within the last hundred years.

However, the Sages said something similar: “On the path a person wishes to go, he is led” (Talmud, Makkot 10b). They also said: “If a person comes to defile himself, they open the way for him; if he comes to purify himself, they help him.”

God, who rules over reality, often allows a person to choose his direction — whether to corrupt himself or to sanctify himself.

In matters like career or health, it is God who grants us the opportunities and the capacity to succeed, and He alone determines the level of success. The choice of how to act lies in our hands, but the execution of that choice —the result, is entirely in the hands of God.