212. Free Will

Teshuvah 5:1

All people have free will. If a person wants to follow the path of good, that’s in his power. If he prefers to follow the path of evil, that option is also his. This is what the Torah means when it says “man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:22). Mankind became unique, with no other species resembling it, in that man can, of his own volition, with knowledge aforethought, perform acts of good and evil. No one can prevent a human from doing good or evil, which is why God expelled mankind from Eden, “lest he stretch out his hand and take from the tree of life” (ibid.).

Teshuvah 5:2

One should not entertain the foolish idea that, when a person is created, God decrees whether he will be righteous or wicked. This is simply not the case. Every person has the capacity to be as righteous as Moses or as evil as Jeroboam. One may likewise be wise or foolish, merciful or cruel, stingy or generous, or any other trait. No one compels a person towards either path. Rather, a person chooses his own path. Eicha 3:38 states this idea as “Neither evil nor good comes from the mouth of God.” It is a sinner who causes his own deficit. Therefore, a person should cry because of his sins and what he has done to his soul, as per Eicha 3:39, “Of what may a living person complain? A person because of his sins.” It continues that we have free choice, which enables us to commit misdeeds. It is therefore proper to repent of sin, which is also in our power, as per Eicha 3:40, “Let us search and scrutinize our deeds and return to God.”