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I have been a little bothered by both of these two things but it’s probably because I have some (or a lot) of misconceptions. Can someone please clarify:
Does everyone already have a death day and no matter what they do they will die at that predestined time and in that predestined way? We always say “it was meant to be.” Do we mean that there is nothing we can do because what happens was anyways going to happen?
When someone enters a raffle were they going to win from the beginning? At some point according to probability (you have more tickets, you keep picking…) must you win? But did Hashem plan that we would enter the raffle? Where was our bechira in that? We entered it, but we ‘had to’ because we ‘had to’ win??
I don’t have an answer to the first one but for the second question, a few answers come to mind.
1) Yes, hishtadlus is important but we all know stories of big tzaddikim who rely (relied) entirely on emunah and somehow all their needs were taken care of. Hashem doesn’t need the hishtadlus of you buying the ticket in order for you to have the prize. Hashem is very creative and if Hashem wanted you to have, say, the free trip to Israel, you will get it whether or not you bought a ticket. But what if Hashem doesn’t think you deserve the free trip? That leads me to number 2.
2) Regarding raffles benefitting a charity, I believe that many who buy thinking they will win are relying on the zchus of their tzedaka to help them win something they weren’t necessarily meant to have.
Hashem doesn’t need your help to give you what you were meant to have. If you won the raffle, you were going to get that thing anyway, even if you hadn’t bought the ticket.
Yes. Everyone has a predetermined life span. Certain things can shorten it and it is possible to add to it.
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