Freedom of choice. Without which, as Maimonides reminds us, religion is meaningless, morality a non-concept, a Torah superfluous.
In fact, not only have we been granted a free choice between good and evil, but also the option of which level on which to make this choice. A choice of choices, if you will:
- a) There is good and there is evil. Blessing and curse, light and darkness. G‑d created both. We choose which of the two, or whichever combination thereof, shall define our existence.
- b) In truth, there is only good. G‑d is the source of all reality; and since G‑d is the essence of good, only good is real. Just as there’s no such thing as darkness—only light or its absence (which we call “darkness”)–so too, there is only good or its absence. Or rather—since no place is devoid of His presence—good or its concealment. So the choice between good and evil is not a choice between two realities, but a choice between being and non-being, between reality and illusion.
To continue reading, please click here.
Published with permission from Chabad.org.
