Comentario citado sobre Jeremías 10:23

The third element in “falling on one’s face” during prayers of entreaties is the utter denial of self, surrendering oneself to the mercy of G’d at the expense of what we usually call one’s own personality, one’s ego. A person becomes so engrossed in his prayer that he closes his eyes, is blind to his surroundings and totally oblivious of any danger that might face him while he was so indifferent to his physical surroundings. Such a person acknowledges at such a time that he is completely unable to chart a course unless he receives guidance from G’d. This is described in Jeremiah 10,23 as כי לא לאדם דרכו, “I know, O Lord it is not up to man to choose his road, that man as he walks cannot direct his own steps.”

Who would grant! Scripture does not say, “who would grant me ”, but rather, “who would grant them ” (the word them is displaced in the sentence, and appears after that they had such a will). Know that the Divine decree underlies all actions and all phenomena, in the sense that the nature and potentiality of everything in the universe, including living creatures, is determined by the action of the constellations on the four elements. A creature’s behavior at every moment is governed by its nature and its potential. However, as the author of the Sefer Yeṣira has explained, a certain amount of deviation can exist. Individuals derive their nature from the species, and they can change their nature within the boundaries of their species’s potential. This is the meaning of “God hardened the heart of Pharaoh” [Exodus 9: 12], although elsewhere Scripture asserts, “he hardened his heart; he and his officials” [Exodus 9: 34]. Both statements are true. Accordingly the prophets have said, “I know, God , that the way of a man is not in himself” [Jeremiah 10: 23] and “Why have you made us stray, God , from Your ways?” [Isaiah 63: 17]. Nevertheless, Moshe said, “choose life” [30: 19]. God does not prevent anyone from achieving good. Indeed, He wishes to bestow good; and Scripture says so anthropomorphically by using the expression, Who would grant.