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Freedom and Choice: an Anthology
Discuss (6)
"See," proclaims the Torah in Deuteronomy 30:15, "I have set before you life and goodness, and death and evil... And you shall choose life."
"If G-d were to decree," writes Maimonides, "that a person be righteous or wicked; or if there were to exist something in the very essence of a person's nature which would compel him toward a specific path, a specific conviction, a specific character trait or a specific deed... how could G-d command us through the prophets 'do this' and 'do not do that'...? What place would the entire Torah have? And by what measure of justice would G-d punish the wicked and reward the righteous...?"
On many accounts, the idea of "Freedom of Choice" seems a self-evident truth. It seems indispensable not only to any "religion", but also to any world-vision that holds the human being responsible for his or her actions. It resonates with the most fundamental element of our self-knowledge: that life is something that we live ("live" being an active verb) and our actions are things that we do. The fact that our choices and decisions have consequence does not need to be proven to us -- we experience it first hand, 24 hours a day, 3,600 seconds an hour.
But no sooner do we attempt to scratch the surface of this self-evident truth, that a flood of questions, paradoxes, absurdities and dilemmas overwhelm us. For this self-evident truth clashes with other, seemingly no less immutable truths: the apparently mechanical nature of our reality, the laws of cause and effect, and -- from a theological standpoint -- G-d's absolute knowledge of the "future" and His omnipotence and Oneness
Much has been written on the subject through the ages by theologians and philosophers. Most fascinating are discussions to be found in Kabbalistic and Chassidic writings, where the very concepts of "freedom" and "choice" assume multiple meanings, questioning some of our most basic assumptions about ourselves, our will, our soul and our world. In particular, the Lubavitcher Rebbe has expressed some very innovative ideas on the subject.
Over the years, a large number of essays, stories and short pieces on "Freedom" and "Choice" have appeared in Chabad.org Magazine. Here is a collection of twenty approaches -- ranging from 300-word "insights" to a six-part series of essays -- to the most basic of human convictions: that we are beings possessing the freedom to make choices that decide our actions and influence our fate.
Short Insights
The Lady, the Tiger and Freedom of Choice
By Yanki Tauber
The Right Not to Know
By Yanki Tauber
Toddling
By Yanki Tauber
A Choice of Choices
By Yanki Tauber
A Tale of Two Birds of Paradise
By Tzvi Freeman
The Discovery of Darkness
By Tzvi Freeman
Why Does Esau Hate Jacob?
By Yanki Tauber
In-Depth Essays
The Paradox of Freedom of Choice: Six Questions
By Tzvi Freeman
How Does G-d Decide What's Right and What's Wrong?
By Tzvi Freeman
The Bubble
By Tzvi Freeman
Inverse Realities
By Tzvi Freeman
Beyond Yes and No
By Tzvi Freeman
On the Essence of Choice
By Yanki Tauber
The Question that Everyone Asks
By Yanki Tauber
Is Judaism a Theocracy?
By Yanki Tauber
Are Religious Jews Narrow-Minded?
By Yrachmiel Tilles
Stories
Freedom
By Jay Litvin
Resistance
By Tuvia Bolton
The Czar's Rubles
By Tuvia Bolton
Freedom of Choice
By Zvi Yair
Compiled by Yanki Tauber
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The phrase describes in depth the act itself. Every waking minute we are confronted with a myriad of choices that lead to the same amount of outcomes. The very fact that this phrase dictates a process of choosing "Life or death..." is a choice in itself. The Torah tells us Life is given to us to choose the quality. To be ambitious. To strive for greater meaning in every waking moment and that these decisions will reflect ultimately the Glory of G-d.
Life and Torah are one and the same...
Live your choices. “You shall choose life..."
Newtown, PA/USA
Cat Spring, TX
friendsoflubavitch.org
London, London
friendsoflubavitch.org
I will make it simple to start with. If you have freedom of choice then why in the OT (especailly Deuteronomy) if you break the law then you are punished by death (e.g. the worship of foreign gods). By definition freedom of choice means no outside force upon you. A death threat precludes freedom of choice.
Even in modern times if you break the sabbath law, what is G-d's punishment? So how can there be free choice with a gun held to your head.
also: Did any orthodox Jewish person ask to be born as an orthodox jew? So what choice is there in who your parents are and how you are borought up?
Simple answer: G-d choses you, you don't chose Him.
montreal, quebec
Think of it like this : You go to a movie theatre, pay for a ticket, and take your seat as the film starts. It isn't any good, and so you decide to sneak into a different movie. This one is MUCH better. The movie is pre-made, you can't change the movie itself, but you can choose the movie that you are in. The movie is the world around you, each is an alternate reality, and a near infinite number of these exist. It is up to you to choose which one you are in, and the way that you do this cosmic 'sneaking into a better movie' is by sharing, by become a channel of the Light of the Creator.
In one movie, your wife/husband is grumpy, your friends talk behind your back, etc. You can actually change this 'reality' by improving yourself, primarily, as stated above, by sharing more. The more selfless the act of sharing, the better the new film.