Beit HaBechirah

Today, on an old livejournal post Soul Of A Bat Kohen, a comment was left by "r from Jers.", writing in part:

Something I learned recently, before we come to this world we have NO FREE CHOICE. Free choice is a garment called tzelem given to the neshama. The INTERESTING part is that after this world we WEAR the tzelem & it basically testifies our accomplishments in this world. Also, nefesh is PHYSICAL, ruach is EMOTION & neshama is INTELLECT. WE are our RUACH which means we have to have the "right" emotions about the "right" things (as directed by our neshamoth/INTELLECT). Therefore, INTELLECTUALLY discover Truth, THEN get excited about it. We are our RUACH (NOT our neshama) & THAT is wear our growth must occur.

There are two points I need to make with respect to this kind of thinking:

1. In my case, what "r from Jers." writes about free choice is not true. I did indeed have free choice before coming into this world, and had to be convinced that coming into the world was the right thing to do and that the objective purpose for doing so could be accomplished. Then I agreed to be born.

2. I am neither my ruach nor my neshamah - both of them are garments "I" wear.

Though I disagree with the commenter on these points, I still appreciate the comment. Such disagreements are the stuff achieving clarity is made of.

technorati tags: Torah kabbalah shakai beit habechirah free will free choice bechirah chofshit Judaism jewish jew jews consciousness shechinah soul soul levels soul development bat kohen kohenet evolution of woman