There’s an interesting question to raise: Do our leaders exercise free will?

At an individual level, we know that not only does free will exist, but it lies at the base of the entire Torah. Indeed, rewarding the righteous and punishing the wicked constitute one of the thirteen principles of faith defined by the Rambam. Of course, they intrinsically imply the existence of free will. Without free will, it would be inconceivable that God rewards exemplary behavior and sanction evil deeds.

Freedom, graciously bestowed upon us by the Creator of the Universe, logically entails responsibility. We are free, therefore we are responsible for our actions. If man were a pre-programmed robot, the Creator of the universe would not hold him accountable for his deeds.

However, regarding leaders, the situation is different. In Mishlei 21,1 (King Solomon's Proverbs), it says: "The heart of the king is like a stream in the hand of God; wherever He wishes, He leads it". Why is this so?

Rabbeinu Yonah responds that absence of leaders’ free is directly linked to the People’s total dependence on them. Indeed, Hashem granted rulers the right to make life and death decisions over their subjects. In addition, He granted them the power to significantly affect the Peoples’ sustenance and financial well-being. Clearly, individual freedoms depend largely on the ruling class’ decisions.

It appears from this, consequently, that if the well-being of millions of individuals depended upon the whims of the ruling class, the latter would be endowed with ample opportunities to abuse their power. But how does this concept (leaders’ lack of free will) operate in practice?

The Yalkut Shimoni explains that when an individual rises to power, his heart is placed in the hands of Hashem. If the People are deserving, Hashem will lean the king's heart toward good. But, if the People are not deserving, the king's heart will lean toward unfavorable decisions and negative decrees. Be what may, every decision made by the King is first promulgated in Heaven. An example of this type of divine intervention in the Torah is found on the book of Exodus. It is said about Pharaoh (Shemot 7,3): "And I will harden the heart of Pharaoh to multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt."

The Malbim compares this metaphor to the way a stream is diverted at the core of its tributary, so, Hashem intervenes in the genesis of a monarch’s decision from the start, taking into account that the latter will be influenced and modified by fundamental factors, such as peace and war.

The Ralbag adds that the actions and thoughts of the king are censored by G.d because, in the final countdown, the king is God’s envoy. This concept reflects infinite divine wisdom, for if the king had the faculty to freely manage the affairs of the kingdom in the same way he manages his personal and private affairs, it could expose the People and put them at risk.

Hashem watches over the destiny of humanity by virtue of the principle stated in the verse: "For he who is in the heights, above those who are high, watches over" (Kohelet 5,7). Indeed, Hashem is the supreme authority, before whom all other forms of authority cancel each other out. According to Rashi, "those who are high" in this case, designate the angels, these are the highest entities above men, but they are nonetheless subordinated to obey God’s will.

In addition, many heads of State and leaders obey the will of God, sometimes wholly unaware, but also often times, consciously. In Pharaoh’s case, we may quote examples. The first time, Pharaoh was subordinated to the will of Hashem without his knowledge, as mentioned above: "And I will harden the heart of Pharaoh" (Shemot 7,3). Pharaoh was wholly unaware. This allowed Hashem to perform His miracles. However, the second time, following the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh decided to dismiss the Jews of his own free will, thereby obeying God, who had repeatedly commanded him to release the Bene-Israel out of Egypt, as written: "Release My people so that they may serve Me" (Shemot 7,26).

Thus, we are faced with a paradox. The world’s great political figures, who pompously rule over us, do not have free will and their judgment and decrees do not belong to them. As Rabbeinu Yonah explains: “You mustn’t fear them at all, you must fear Hashem”. It is He who must be implored, for He alone can bend the heart of the King as He desires.

The only genuine leader of the universe is the Creator. So, if leaders are prevented from exercising free will, who can exercise free will in the world? The populace, the commoners, who ultimately hold more power than the rulers. This is an encouraging concept for simple and mortal people like us. Each one of our decisions may tip the scales of humanity in its entirety favorably or unfavorably. As the Rambam explains, based on the treaty of Kiddushin, 40b, everyone must consider the world as a scale, tipping right and left, according to the number of faults and merits on either side. If one chooses to be foolish, God forbid, one tips the scales of one’s life and of the whole world unfavorably. Conversely, if one chooses to act righteously, one makes the entire world tilt towards meritoriousness. We must internalize the tremendous importance of every action we take.

Ultimately, the world’s political leaders only hold a semblance of power. Ultimate power is exclusively in the hands of the Master of the universe. In His great goodness, he delegates some of it to His faithful servants, the tzadikim, the righteous. Indeed, the holy tzaddikim received the incredible power to influence the decisions of the Almighty, as taught by our Sages, based on the treatise Mo'ed Katan 16b: "The tzaddik decrees and God accomplishes ".

May the tzaddikim inspire us by their example, and influence us to make positive daily choices. May we use our free will wisely, in accordance with the will of the King of the Universe and Supreme Ruler. Amen.