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Chapter Two: | 27 30 | A New Light

And this is especially true of those people who have fallen prey to Consider this: you think that you lack free will. That is because
every sort of addiction: cigarettes and drugs, alcohol and gambling, you assume that your free will lies in the realm of action, and
overeating and computer games, videos and social media. Some you see that you lack the strength to control and change your
Shmuel Eliezer Stern people aren’t even aware that they are imprisoned and in terrible behavior. But that is where you are wrong. It is true that you do
Member of the Beit Din Tzedek of Maran Hagaon Rav Shmuel darkness. But none of them nurse any hope of leaving their situation, not have control over your behavior (as will be discussed further
because they see no way of freeing themselves from the chains of on). What do you control? Only your will. At the moment that
Wosner zatzal their addictions. you discover the power of free choice that you do control—which
Rosh Yeshiva, Chug Chatam Sofer is your will—you will understand that every person on every level
Rav Ma’arav Bnei Brak Everyone and His Burden possesses complete free will, and that everything that Hashem
wants of us is easy, simple, and accessible to everyone, even the
Not only people who are immersed in the depths of evil feel that most debased, degraded and godless individual—literally,
every person in every situation!
Baruch Hashem Av 5776 they have no choice, but even people who keep the Torah and
its commandments, even scholars who learn Torah, pray carefully
The honorable rabbi and tzaddik, famous for his mighty and are exacting about every halachah, whether easy or hard. Each Everything Is in the Hands of Heaven
deeds and for his precious books, Rabbi Shalom Arush, whose one has his own challenges and an area or areas in which he does
mighty activities span the globe in strengthening the hearts of the not conceive of himself as being able to change. There may be a Allow me to explain. You are wrong to think that your free will
broken and consoling them in the way of the Torah and faith, particular desire that overcomes him, a challenge to wake up on lies in the realm of action. Simple faith tells us that everything is
illuminating their paths so that they know where to go and what time, to guard his eyes or guard his tongue, he may face tests of in Hashem’s hands, including our deeds, words and thoughts. A
to do, constantly increases his holy work and acts energetically to his faith, he may struggle with evil traits such as anger and envy, he person’s deed is not in his hands. Rather, Hashem is the Master of
spread the light—and he has now done so with his valuable book, A may be unable to maintain peace in his home, and the like. all deeds. As the first Principle of Faith based on Rambam’s view
New Light, which contains meaningful and outstanding teachings states, “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be
to strengthen people’s power of the will, which allows them to lead Every individual has his own burden, an area in which he thinks He, creates and guides all created beings, and that He alone made,
a life in which they serve Hashem. he cannot change. He feels broken. And sometimes he despairs so makes and will make all things.” That is the foundation of faith:
completely that he no longer even feels broken. Instead, he makes that the Creator Himself performed, performs and will perform all
May Hashem his God be with him. May he successfully his peace with his “reality” that overcoming his difficult challenge is actions.
spread his wellsprings upon the face of the earth, increase Torah beyond him. Every individual on every level has the feeling that at
and make it mighty, and help the Jewish people by extending the some point he lacks free will. This is to be understood in the most literal sense as including even
borders of holiness and purity with might and force, in keeping with your own actions that appear to depend solely on you. Be aware
the desire of his pure soul and in keeping with the blessing of those Such a person is not permitted to comfort himself with the that even such actions only come about by the power of Hashem,
who value his deeds. thought, “I have worked hard on myself, and except for this or because He is the Master of all forces. A person’s every capability
that particular issue, I choose the good. My failure isn’t so terrible. comes from the Creator of the universe. That being so, a person’s
Will heaven be exacting with me just because of this one issue?” every action derives from the power of the Creator. Regarding this,
It is absolutely forbidden to think this way. A person must know the verse states, “All of our deeds You performed for us” (Isaiah
that a challenge that is so difficult that he makes no headway in 26:12).
overcoming it constitutes the essence of what he must rectify. That
is the mission for whose sake he came to this world. Conversely, In that case, what role does the individual play? His only role
something easy for him to master is not something for whose sake is to implement his will. That is the meaning of the statement in
he came to this world. the Gemara that “in the way that a person wishes to go, he is
led” (Makkot 10b). A person does not go anywhere or do anything