Shlach: The Gift Of Choice

The ability we have to exercise free choice is one of the great features of our humanity.

As Victor Frankl

put it “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Yes there maybe powerful forces or people who try to manipulate others to behave in a certain way.

In the current age of social media there could be hashtags which trigger worldwide movements.

Yet we should always remember that notwithstanding these forces, we retain control at all times.

When G-d created the universe, it was an imperfect world. He did so because he was inviting mankind to become his partners in creation.

G-d in his kindness was granting a most generous gift to his people.

In life we don’t own something until we earn it. And we only earn something if we have to go through the grueling process of exercising free choice.

No one should claim victimhood, not even to the forces of nature or events.

As Jews we have that extra responsibility to provide that moral guidance to the world, by making the right choices.

It is both our greatest privilege and responsibility.

It is G-ds way of inviting us to be his partners in creation.

And who doesn’t want to be a partner.