09 Mar Pesach: A Meditation on Freedom and Free Will
Pesach:
A Mediation on Freedom and Free Will
Inspired by the teachings of HaRav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth
We are obligated every day to ‘remember the Exodus from Egypt’. Pesach is a special time of remembrance of the redemption from slavery and a transformation to freedom. But what is freedom? Perhaps you will consider the following thought.
The idea of freedom must include an understanding of free will. Accordingly, we must know that free will is a gift from the Almighty that allows us to draw ever more close to Him, a choice that I choose to have a relationship with G-d. Free will is not a gift from G-d that allows us to do as we please absent of consequence. Free will used in positive way brings us closer to G-d, and free will used in an inappropriate way can create distance between us and G-d.
Free will is therefore the tool we have been given to choose to serve G-d, and freedom is the forum of opportunity provided by G-d to do so. Freedom is the ‘experience’ that allows us to use our free will to its fullest potential to serve G-d. Klol Yisroel was redeemed from Egypt to serve G-d by accepting and bringing to this world an understanding of His Oneness, His G-dliness… Torah and Tikun Olam … the Rectification of the World.
When G-d created the universe of His Goodness, He drew Himself back from the Created World in order that we should have the opportunity to earn and choose our relationship with Him. His awesomeness would have otherwise restricted our choices. It is here in the ‘space’ (hamakom) that G-d created between us and Him, that the mechanism of free will exists. Insight into the concept of free will can be gleaned for the following ideas we may refer to as ‘Touching Yet Not Touching’ .
Experiencing touch in the physical world such as the feel of someone shaking our hand is an illusion. Physical touch is actually an interaction of electrons that are barriers to the physical matter of the cellular construction or our body. There exists a charge surrounding every molecule that acts as a barrier assuring that when we touch something or someone we don’t become one with that object (i.e. melt together). In other words the experience of what we call ‘touching’ is really an exchange of ‘energy’ that creates the sensation we call ‘touch’. There is a passing of information that takes place through a series of interactions so that objects can maintain their structure without changing their physical form. G-d provide, us this ‘space’ at all levels of creation.
In Parshas Bereishit, in the first pusek, verses 1 and 2, we find the words v.1 Bereishit,’ In the beginning’ and v.2 marachefet, ‘hover’. We see further ; v.1 In the beginning El-him created the heavens and the earth. v.2 The earth was unformed and desolate, and darkness covered the surface of the abyss. The breath of El-him hovered above the surface of the water.
We see here that G-d had created the mechanism of ‘withdrawal’ or ‘concealment’ from the Created World. He is the Place of the world but the world is not His place. The waters that are mentioned here in Bereishit are referred to as ‘the Waters of Tshuvah’.
Therefore, by “hovering” over created reality, God continues to sustain and nourish His Creation while simultaneously allowing each creature or, in the terminology of Kabbalah, each vessel, the ability to grow and develop “independently.” (excerpt ‘The Hebrew Alphabet’, Harav Y. Ginsburgh)
Harav Y. Ginsburgh brings down the following from the Maggid of Mezeritch;
The Hovering Eagle
Before the eagle takes his fledglings on his wings, he must awaken them. The eagle is a massive and powerful bird. If he lands on his nest suddenly, he is liable to crush his fragile fledglings. Thus, our verse illustrates the eagle as hovering over his nest, expressing himself to his fledglings as the most gentle of creatures, manifesting perfect balance and stability. The verb for “hover” rachef, is very rare in the Torah. One of its only other appearances is in the second verse of Genesis, “and the spirit of God hovered over the waters.” Our sages explain that this is the spirit of Mashiach. The waters are the ‘waters of teshuvah’, the awakening of the consciousness of the soul to return to God. These two expressions of “hovering” are completely complementary. Both point to the awakening of the Jewish People to the Messianic reality of return to God.
Touching Yet Not Touching
In Kabbalah and Chassidut the hovering of the eagle is referred to as “touching yet not touching”. The eagle is able to simultaneously touch and not touch, allowing his fledglings to awaken little by little, in accordance with their ability to grasp his presence. The power to touch is the power to be involved – to inspire the other. Not touching allows the other free choice so that his soul can awaken by itself in its desire to ascend toward God. The eagle — Mashiach — inspires us while simultaneously and paradoxically allowing us to slowly integrate the new Messianic reality at our own, individual pace.
Freedom and Free Will –
True freedom is a gift from G-d that allows our free will to exist… to recognize the ‘space’ and the physical universe . It is through learning and living Torah that we can gain the greatest clarity and use the gift of free will to the greatest potential.
Chag Somayach,
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addiction and Counseling (Hnrs)
www.lawrencelax.com