The world is not predictable. Determinism is a leftover artifact of the nineteenth century.
All we can say is that there are some loose rules by which G‑d generally plays.
From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.
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Anonymous
November 30, 2012
loosely i must be the only one who doesnt get it. Oh, i see July 23 /10 explains it simply enough. Good Shabbos. Reply
Levi
Brooklyn
November 29, 2012
"Souls sent to a world, battle in heart, when we conquer evil "
I just saw this from the Sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, from the introduction to a treatise on prayer:
"The purpose of the soul's decent is for the divine labor, to refine and to purify the character. Every single person is capable of this, but only through deep prayer."
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Katherine Anderson
Seattle WA
November 29, 2012
detetrminism I love what you said on this. Your advice and comments are usually spot on. I love this I chuckled over my morning coffee. Thank you. Reply
Brenda
Toronto, Canada
November 29, 2012
The Final Action is in the Initial Thought The Thought of Creation is to do good to His creatures. His guidance compels us to undergo a series of phases, by way of cause and effect until we merit His goodness by becoming one with Him in His quality of goodness - Then we will be united in one harmonious soul. We need only to choose to yearn for His Light to raise us above our selfish inclination. Our disconnect with others means our disconnect from Him. Otherwise we will have to be moulded by pressures of sufferings. There are no chance miracles -The Causes are His actions which are concealed from our senses. Reply
Dr. Harry Hamburger
Miami
November 29, 2012
Why we are here
What are we to do
except fight battle in heart
when we conquer evil impulse
then are doing our part
Souls sent to a world
containing more evil than good
given the strength of Shimshon
so can smash the wood
The sparks will rise up
released from roots in ground
we must keep on searching
until all have been found
_____________________________
"To understand this poem, is to know why we are here!...there is really nothing else that needs to be known or said."
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Anonymous
Forest Hills, NY
November 29, 2012
My question what is the difference between prophecy and prediction (is it the same with determinism)? Reply
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman
July 13, 2010
Some explanation
Someone wrote asking for a simple explanation of this one. Here is what I wrote:
People used to think that you could collect all the data in the universe, feed it into a computer and predict everything that would happen everywhere from this point on. Nowadays, we know that's malarkey. The universe is not a big, predictable machine following a set program. There's plenty of room for what scientists call chance, and what we call hidden miracles.
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c.papac/nou
athens, greece
July 13, 2010
determinism but if the world is not predictable, how could it be that some saintly men forsaw the future or even by praying stopped it, e.g. prophet eliah. costaz, athens. Reply
Mark
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
July 12, 2010
Determinism Actually, the world I live in has been astoundingly predictable. The sun has risen and set every day of my life. And every morning when I awake, without exception, God has returned my soul to me from His safekeeping and given me one more chance to do it right. Reply
Dr. Harry Hamburger
Miami, Fl
July 11, 2010
Determinism
When we are disconnected from G-d, the world of cause/effect and nature controls our destiny. When we connect with G-d, which is our choice, and the only reasonable choice we have, we choose life over death, good over evil, and then are governed by G-d and not the constellations.
In addition to the choice of faith, we also have three other choices, to study, to perform mitzvot-charity- and G-dly work, and to have a proper Torah based attitude.
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shahid
July 11, 2010
Good Explanation! This is a good explanation! Reply
Lou Kraus
Richfield, OH/USA
July 11, 2010
Determinism
Life is not "either/or". Our core values are the "deterministic" rules of every century.
The problem is that they've gotten lost in the forest of daily life. Our job is to figure out which tree is the Tree of Life.
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It's a great work.