Friday, August 18, 2006

The Greatest Power


Behold The Greatest Power in the world.
So great, it can destroy cities...
It can cure diseases...

All of life is beholden to this power.

A power Greater than God.



The Power of Human Free Will

The ability to choose between good and evil.
It’s frightening the power we have.
At any moment we can change our will..
Become a Monster..Become a Saint..

Everything good and bad that has ever happened was once a choice
A moment when a human mind decided to do something good or bad

Imagine. The Ohr Hachayim says that Human Free Will supersedes Divine Will.
I have the power to kill someone before his time is up.
This power is so great..that if it’s out of control..God has to destroy it.
But in essence..Our Free Will is in our souls which is part of God himself..

And so Hashem beseeches us..in this weeks Parsha..
See..I have placed before you good and evil...
Choose Life!
and..I shall choose life through you....


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13 Comments:

Blogger FrumGirl said...

It is truly scary... and humbling.

Good, Evil; Black, White... you know sometimes the lines arent that defined....

August 18, 2006 1:23 PM  
Blogger socialworker/frustrated mom said...

Beautiful! I also had a post about choices, you are taking that one too, just kidding. Love that fiery pic. I could have sworn I saw it somewhere don't know where.

August 18, 2006 1:28 PM  
Blogger anonym00kie said...

i dont like that line about being able to kill someone before his time is up.
i think its possible for our will to supersede g-d's - meaning that he would like us to make the right choice and we choose to make the wrong choice, and he cant force us. but i dont understand how our will can supersede g-ds will at the expense of an innocent bystander..

good post.. more or less :)

August 18, 2006 1:52 PM  
Blogger Stacey said...

Choices. Life is all about choices and responsibility...to ourselves, our families, humanity, and G-d.

August 18, 2006 2:24 PM  
Blogger smb said...

Sometimes people react on impulse when really we should stop and think about our choices and then choose the right path. It's great for improving our character traits.

August 18, 2006 3:25 PM  
Blogger Mata Hari said...

you do some powerful thinking on that lake :)

August 18, 2006 5:56 PM  
Blogger Sarah Likes Green said...

powerful and humbling choice but go for the good, the blessings :)

August 19, 2006 7:40 AM  
Blogger Pragmatician said...

it doesn't always feel that way but it's good to know what power we have

August 20, 2006 9:59 AM  
Blogger David_on_the_Lake said...

FG...
Scary indeed...Dont know about humbling though..hehe

swfm...
Thats also my choice....
The picture is of a nuclear detonation in the 1950s over Bikini Atoll

anonym00kie...
It is a bit of a contreversial thought..but he does say it black on white in Parshas Vayeitzei...when the brothers throw Yosef in the pit...Look it up.

Stacey...
so true....every step of the way...and even choices that look so small and insignificent..can down the road be huge...

lvnsm....
true...impulse is just choosing without thinking..

mata...
Lakes are condusive to thinking...

sarah...
will do!
:-)

prag....
it doesnt feel that way because we dont excercise that power..
Think..you can go out right now...and murder someone..nothing stopping you..

August 20, 2006 9:45 PM  
Blogger Bonnie B said...

We have the power of the world in our hot little hands and sometimes I swear we don't even know it. The choices we make affect so many people-- whether to be polite and kind or rude and obnoxious. Our choices don't have to be big because some times the smallest things we choose to do make all the difference for our fellows-- sometimes for the best and sometimes for the worst-- it's our choice how do we cant to affect others and ulitmately ourselves

August 20, 2006 11:37 PM  
Blogger Lee said...

very good points, david...but I gotta say, that Or Hachaim -and I say this with the utmost respect for the Or Hachaim's piety and wisdom- I just can't stand it. And I'm not the only one. The heavy majority of poskim throughout the ages taught differently -that yes, we hold the power to choose to end a life, but Hashem decides whether our will will come to fruition. That helps me walk without fear in the crazy streets of a human world without borders. Trust in G-d, but as you said extraordinarily eloquently, do the right thing -for only you hold the power to choose.

August 21, 2006 1:25 AM  
Blogger ggggg said...

Human Free Will supersedes Divine Will. TRUE

Greater than God.. Not quite!

There is a difference.

August 21, 2006 11:05 AM  
Blogger David_on_the_Lake said...

bonnie...
yea. Thats the scary part...its like this unwanted responsibility...

okee...
true the or hachayim is not accepted by all..but the fact that he says it shows how potent our power is.

lv...
greater...not in the better sense..but larger

August 22, 2006 10:46 AM  

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