Free Will

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. – Mark 16:16 HCSB

Clarence Darrow, a famous criminal defense lawyer and religious skeptic, once said, “All people are products of two things, and two things only: their heredity and environment. And they act in exact accord with the heredity which they took from all the past, and for which they are in no wise responsible, and the environment…We all act from the same way.”[1]

All ideas have consequences and Mr. Darrow’s led him to believe that a man had no free will. He carried this idea so far as to oppose the punishment of criminals. He did not think it was right to kill murderers, for how could we punish them for something over which they may exert no control?

This thought is in direct contrast to God’s. Out of His desire to have someone love Him freely and of their own accord, He voluntarily limited His control over us and granted Humanity free will.

Over and over, He claimed that we had not only the ability but also the responsibility to choose wisely. We are to choose between life and death, between good and evil.[2] We are to choose to love Him and to demonstrate that love by keeping His commandments.[3] We are to choose to abide with Him (which means to maintain a right relationship or d’vekut with Him).[4] We are to choose to act ethically[5] and in accordance with the rules or righteousness.[6] We are to choose to fight and keep on fighting for the Kingdom until we die or until the Master returns.[7]

If we did not have a free will to choose, then God would not be justified in His anger against us. But it is precisely because He planted truth deep in our souls and we have willfully suppressed that truth that He has every right to not only treat us as He wishes but to be angry![8]

The concept of Humanity’s free will is absolutely central to the belief system of the tzaddikim. We believe that all other doctrines: that of sin, salvation, practical holiness, heaven, hell, punishment and reward – all hinge upon the idea that man can and should choose to behave.

When El Boreh created the universe, He did something special with the first man. He breathed “neshamah ch’ay”, literally the “breath or spirit of life”, into Humanity. This singular privilege and responsibility was not extended to any animal but was solely gifted upon Humanity. It’s what makes us stand out. This distinction in some way makes us like God. We, like Him, are free agents able to act according to our wills. This is both our greatest strength and our greatest source of pain.

Many people went to the infamous death camps of WW II. Some chose to go through their last days comforting others and giving away their last piece of bread. Yet, others chose to cooperate with the Nazis. We stand or fall – but we choose which.

[1] From Safire, Lend Me Your Ears, 327-335
[2] Deuteronomy 30:15-19
[3] John 14:15
[4] John 15:7
[5] Romans 2:10
[6] 1 Corinthians 9:24
[7] 1 Timothy 6:12
[8] Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Romans 1:18-20