QUESTION:
The Ohr HaChaim (in parshas Vayeishev) says that when Reuven heard what the brothers planned to do to Yosef and he wanted to save him from the pit, there was a possibility that Yosef would get harmed because a baal bechirah (human beings, who have free will) are able to harm someone even no harm had been previously decreed in Heaven on the person, whereas a creature that does not possess bechirah, such as the animals, are not able to harm a person if it wasn’t previously decreed on the person to get harmed. The source of this is in the Zohar (I:185b), that Reuven reasoned that the snakes and scorpions in the pit can’t harm Yosef if he’s a tzaddik, because then Hashem would save him with a miracle, but Yosef was still in the dangers from the brothers, because they would be able to harm him, and therefore Reuven realized he needed to save Yosef from the brothers. This is a very difficult concept to understand, and also, the Ramchal disagrees with it. What is the way to understand this?
ANSWER:
There is a very big argument about this concept, as it’s well-known. But both views are correct, and let us see how. There is a point higher than bechirah, known as yediah (Hashem knows everything that will happen), and from that higher view, Reuven wasn’t making anything happen. However, our avodas Hashem is always to act from our bechirah, because a person is given bechirah. Since bechirah is more revealed with a person, it seems that a person can use his bechirah to harm another person. However, an animal has a lot less bechirah, and therefore an animal is being run for the most part by the mode of yediah, which is higher than bechirah. And therefore, an animal can’t harm a person unless it was decreed by Heaven. So the avodah of a person is contradictory. On one hand, a person needs to believe in bechirah and thus he must act according to the Torah. On the other hand, a person also needs to believe in yediah, to know that he doesn’t do anything, because only Hashem does everything [as we say in the Ani Maamin]. And this brings a person to bittul, to nullify his sense of self, when he realizes that he doesn’t do anything. This is the depth of the concept of malchus, submitting ourselves before Hashem out of humility, where one recognizes “I have nothing of my own.” [שאל ליבי תשעח-ט (תשובה קס"ט)]
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