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A person might ask: “Are you saying that we do not have to Of course, the Jews responded to this proclamation of the leaders 2
act, and that it suffices to want?” Heaven forbid! If you are able of the generation. Everywhere they organized rides and hung up
to fulfill Hashem’s will, certainly you must both want and fulfill; if signs calling on everyone to participate in the gathering. Whoever
you are able to strive and do, certainly you must want, pray, strive heeded the ruling of the leaders of the generation signed up for the
and do. But regarding matters that you are unable to fulfill, you are bus rides without hesitation. People set aside their learning, their
obligated to want, and want more, and continue to want and pray. activities and business, took off from work, and came to participate
As we learned, your exercise of will is considered equal to deed. If in the public prayers. Many brought along family members as well.
you hold fast to your will, you will be directed by heaven, which
will give you the ability to attain that deed in actuality. But not everyone went. For instance, when Reuven was
getting himself ready, his father told him, “You are not going to
The Will Is Always Free any gathering. You will not leave this house.” All of Reuven’s
explanations were of no avail. His father told him resolutely, “If
you go, you are not my son.” As for Shimon, as soon as his wife
We have learned that whereas the deed is not in a person’s
hands, his exercise of his will is always free, and it is always in heard that he was planning to participate in the gathering, she burst
his hands. Therefore, even if you cannot overcome your cravings out yelling at him. When she calmed down, he tried to explain
to her pleasantly that he was obligated to heed the sages, but she
and addictions, you can always intend to overcome them. Even if responded by threatening that if he dared go to the gathering, she
you cannot speak with Hashem, you can always intend to speak
with Him; even if you cannot be joyful, you can always intend would divorce him. Levi was locked in his room and could not get
out. Yehudah had no money. Ephraim’s car needed repairs and his
to be joyful; and even if you cannot always intend properly, you
can intend to. Your intent is the principal factor. This intent is neighbors did not have room for him in their cars. And Menashe
returned from work so exhausted that he fell asleep and missed his
considered equal to deed, and you will receive reward for it equal ride.
to the reward for the actual deed. Your intent is what heaven wants
from you—because that constitutes the entirety of your ability to
choose freely. A Reckoning
He Who bestows knowledge upon man gave me the merit to When these people who were unable to attend come to heaven
formulate this concept that the essence of free choice lies in the and are asked: “Why didn’t you heed the leaders of the generation
exercise of will, since the exercise of will is always free and a person and participate in the gathering?” each one will describe his
always has the ability to change it immediately. Afterwards, I circumstances. The heavenly court will accede to each one and tell
learned that I had merited to intuit the words of the Imrei Emet him: “You are vindicated, because you were prevented from going.
of Gur (as quoted in Mitzvotechah Sha’ashu’ati: Imrot HaP’nei Menachem), We can see what happened in these heavenly ‘videos,’ exactly as
who challenges a statement of the Chida. The Chida writes that you testified. But even so, why didn’t you want…?”
“nothing can withstand [a person’s] will,” and he implies that a
person can actualize and attain everything that he wants, and that The heavenly court will show each one of these people that others
there is no such thing as wanting something and failing to attain it. with much greater obstacles did attend. Those others wanted and
But the Imrei Emet points out that this assertion is contradicted continued to want, until they succeeded in attending. The court
by the Gemara in Berachot (6a), which says: “If a person intended will tell Reuven: “When you saw that your father was determined
to perform a mitzvah but he was thwarted, Scripture considers it as to stop you, you set aside your intent. Look at Gadi. His father
though he did it.” It appears from this Gemara that there are things locked him in his room, so that he was physically unable to go. But
