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Ramban Vol I:
Learn the unifying themes of Nachmanides's fundamental Torah commentary in this masterful and fascinating work that shows Ramban's genius and profundity.
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Free Will
At the end of parashas Bo, the Ramban explains the purpose of mitzvos (Shemos 13:16). Quoting our sages, who admonish us, "Be zealous in the performance of 'minor' mitzvos as in 'major' mitzvos" (Pirkei Avos 2:1), the Ramban explains that even "minor" mitzvos require zealousness, because each and mitzvah is precious to Hashem. By performing mitzvos we demonstrate our knowledge that Hashem is our Master and acknowledge that He is our Creator: "And the intention of all the mitzvos is that we should believe in Hashem and acknowledge to Him that He created us. And this is the purpose of the creation, for we have no other reason for the first creation. And the Exalted Hashem has no desire in the lower world except that man should know and acknowledge to his Lord that He created him."
Hashem wanted man to recognize Him as the supreme Creator, and for this purpose He created the entire world. Therefore, by performing mitzvos man fulfills this Divine will and gives purpose to Hashem's creation.
Was Man Created with Free Will?
The Ramban's formulation obviously implies the assumption that man was created with free will, because for man's acknowledgment of Hashem to be significant, man must be provided with the opportunity to choose otherwise. It is impossible to imagine that the purpose of creation is for man to make a choice that he is forced to make. However, this assumption touches on a paradox inherent in the sin of Adam and Chavah.On the one hand, that Adam and Chavah were able to sin implies they were created with free will. After all, if their actions were Divinely determined from the start, how did they violate Hashem's command and why were they punished? On the other hand, the Torah is clear that Adam's and Chavah's free will changed after they ate from the Tree of Knowledge.
Before He banishes Adam and Chavah from the Garden, Hashem says, "Behold, man has become like the Unique One among us to know good and bad, and now, lest he send forth his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat and live forever (Bereishis 3:22).
Although there were two trees whose fruit Hashem did not want them to eat, originally He prohibited eating only from the Tree of Knowledge and did not mention the Tree of Life (Bereishis 2:16-7). Only after they sinned did Hashem banish them from the garden lest they eat from this second tree (ibid., 3:22). This implies that before committing their first sin, Adam and Chavah did not have the free will that would allow them to sin by eating from the second tree.