Freedom and Choice

Freedom and Choice: an Anthology

"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.

Compiled by Yanki Tauber

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