Beliefs & Practices

The idea that God controls the world, determining the trajectory and details of its history, is strong in Judaism and is one of the theological issues that contributes to the Jewish problem of free will.

Some interpretations of the meaning of tefillin have faded, and others have been invented to take their place.

In the Middle Ages, Jewish thinkers struggled to reconcile God's knowledge of the future with human choice.

Jewish thought in modern times has been shaped by radically new political realities.

Biblical and rabbinic sources stress both divine determinism and human freedom.

The Bible records several problematic instances of God hardening human hearts, seemingly stripping them of free will.

According to some thinkers, God only watches over people in a general way; according to others, divine providence extends to the minute details of life.

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." How many fish do we buy, and how many nets?

Can we choose our way?

Evidence from Qumran shows that the medieval debate about the order of biblical passages in tefillin has ancient roots.  

The details of this precept, using powerful symbols of allegiance to divine law and of membership in the Jewish religious community, have been subject to many interpretations.

The idea that the soul is the human instrument of spirituality became more prominent over the course of Jewish history.