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Free Will: The Awesome & Marvelous Creation

by Chaya Rivka Zwolinski
Free Will: The Awesome & Marvelous Creation
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In Likutey Moharan Lesson 151 Rebbe Nachman speaks about free will. In his related prayer, Reb Noson explores this topic from a psycho-spiritual standpoint.

It’s a topic filled with awe and wonder.

Reb Noson writes: How astounding is this power to exercise freedom of choice, which You gave mankind, Hashem! There is nothing as awesome and mysterious, as amazing and marvelous, in all of the worlds which You made. Truly unique among Your creations is freewill.

He continues discussing the idea that there are creatures in the world that Hashem created and He gives permission and strength to these creatures to make their own decisions and do what they will. Whether it is Hashem’s will or the opposite, God forbid, each of us has been imbued with the ability and the strength to choose.

When we began to think deeply about free will, though, we run into a wall. Free will is paradoxical. If everything is determined by Hashem, why are we able to have free will? How come we’re able to choose one thing or another?

When we hit up against these paradoxes, there is nothing that can bust through them except faith. If we have the emunah that Hashem created everything, including our free will, we’ll begin to let go of our frustration. We have to remember that our intellect  is limited and that there are paradoxes that we can’t understand. When we do, we end up with more peace of mind.

A two-year-old can’t understand the theory of relativity and we can’t understand the paradox of free will, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

We choose with the best information we have at hand. We want to do the right thing. Still, we have to leave the outcome of our choice up to Hashem.

Choose wisely. Choose well. And embrace the unique creation that is free will.

Today’s mini lesson is dedicated Bracha bat Rivkah Mark. 

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