ב"ה
In Depth
The Jewish take on creatures that have their own mind
Isn’t everything predetermined by the mechanics of the universe? I’m just a programmed machine; how can I be blamed for being what I am? Since G-d knows the future, what choice do we have in it?
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Are good things G-dly or are G-dly things good? What would the Chassidic masters say of the Socrates- Euthyphro debate?
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How is it that a G-d who is capable of creating an entire universe, time, space and laws of nature included, can’t get His own creatures to fall in line?
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"See, I have set before you life and goodness, and death and evil... Life and death I have set before you, blessing and curse... And you shall choose life..." (Deuteronomy 30:15-19). These three sentences represent three dimensions of choice -- compelled choice, random choice, and essential choice
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The Question that Everyone Asks
If G-d "already" knows what I will do tomorrow, is not my freedom to choose nothing more than an illusion?
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The human psyche is home to two contrasting drives: a striving for freedom, and an impulse to submit to authority. Which should be given priority over the other? Or, to otherwise state the question: in what sort of environment would the Torah prefer to see the Jew—as a member of a free society, or as the subject of an authoritarian regime?
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Related Topics
- Freedom of Choice (151)