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Chapter Two: | 29 28 | A New Light

it fair to create a being who is entirely driven by desires and tell Of course, we must keep the entire Torah, the mitzvot and Sinai Halberstam
him, “Do not desire and do not lust”? A human being’s spirit is Jewish customs with joy. But the essence of your rectification, the Rabbi and Av Beit Din, Shikun Gimel
an animalistic entity that desires and craves thievery and forbidden rectification for whose sake you were sent into this world, is related
relations (Makkot 23b). to the issue that you are wrestling with. You must strive, work and Bnei Brak
struggle with that issue, because it constitutes the essence of why 28 Ellul 5776
And setting that aside, a person finds it difficult to grow spiritually: you came here. It constitutes the essence of your rectification, the
to cling to Hashem, which is the essence of our purpose in life, to essence of your free will. It is the principal reason that you will
engage in intense prayer, and to fulfill all of the obligations of the receive reward that is not the “bread of shame.” And the Holy
heart. Working on these goals requires a person to engage in arduous One, blessed be He, receives His principal delight from you when
and sustained effort—and even then, success is not guaranteed. you struggle and strive to overcome this difficult challenge.

So that raises the question: Did Hashem only give the holy Torah But typically, because a person does not know how to conquer Rabbi Shalom Arush, the honorable rabbi and tzaddik, aids
to elevated, unique individuals such as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai that challenge, he thinks that he lacks free will in that area of his life. the masses. His holy mouth is filled with healing and with pure
and his companions? What about the rest of us, we who are clumps He despairs entirely of being able to exercise his free will precisely ideas. He goes from strength to strength in helping the masses with
of earth, creatures carved from clay? What can we do? Viewed in that area and with that issue, which constitutes the essence of his wonderful writings, arousing the hearts of the children of Israel
superficially, it would appear that we cannot keep the Torah and what he must rectify. by making them aware of the good will hidden in every Jew, and
the mitzvot fully in this physical world. Is the holy Torah a hoax, that every Jew can express his good will in his actions when he
heaven forbid? Therefore, be aware that if you lose this battle, you will forfeit the fervently keeps the commandments with truth and with a whole
very reason for which you came to this world. heart. As the Rambam teaches, every individual wishes to be on
This doubt mirrors the feeling of the many people who think that the level of “Hashem is close to all of those who call out to Him.”
they lack the free will to keep the Torah and the mitzvot. In summary, everyone thinks that he lacks free will regarding Rabbi Arush’s books are popular among the masses of the people
an issue that is difficult for him to master and that he has not of Israel. With the help of these books, they gain strength—each
Their understanding is that human beings came into the world succeeded in rectifying. person in his own way….
to make choices but that in reality we are unable to do so. And
so the entire system is unrealistic! We are supposed to have free Is This Realistic?
will so that we may attain reward for our labors. But it seems that,
because we are overcome by the powers of evil, we are forced to This problem goes even deeper. As is known, people find great
choose evil against our will. The result is that every person will difficulty in fully meeting their obligations—in particular, in the
only receive punishment, God have mercy. Therefore, since it is
seemingly impossible for us to attain reward for our efforts, perhaps areas of attaining holiness and improving their character. As the
Gemara states, “Rabbi Yehudah said in the name of Rav: The
it would have been better for us to receive the “bread of shame.”
majority of people [engage in] dishonest behavior, a minority
[engages in] forbidden relations, and everyone [engages in] a trace
Changing Our Outlook of evil speech” (Bava Batra 176a).

My dear fellow-Jew, I want to make it clear to you that whatever The Gemara also states that “the Holy One, blessed be He, does
level you are on, despite every problem you face, you can not treat people unfairly” (Avodah Zarah 3a). But isn’t it unfair to
choose good. You possess a way to choose good in every situation, create a being who is naturally self-centered and egotistic, and
to change all of your traits and desires for the better, and to acquire tell him, “Do not hate your brother in your heart,” “Do not be
everything in serving Hashem! envious,” “Do not take vengeance and do not bear a grudge”? Is

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