FREE CHOICE

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

BH Shmuel Levy is recovering well from a small operation he had. Wishing you a refuah shleimah Shmuel, and very soon!

Mazal Tov to Shmuly and Devorah Leah on the birth of a beautiful girl, named Chaya Mussiah (not sure of spelling). Wishing the whole Family much joy and nachas from her, and many more simchos!

Mazal Tov to Mendel Levy for his birthday tomorrow. Keep up all your good work and achievements Mendel. Wishing you a great year!

It is the month of Elul which is a preparation for Rosh Hashanah, and it is significant that we have been learning the Laws of Teshuvah in the Rambam this week.

And of course Teshuvah is central to Elul and Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur

Teshuvah means Return, and has a quality of returning to oneself and coming closer to Hashem

The chapters of Teshuvah in Rambam are very powerful, and it is worth reading them in the original, but I will try and summarise a few points:

• FREE CHOICE is given to all men (including women) to turn himself to the path of good and be righteous, or to go on the path of not-good and be wicked. The choice is fully his, and his alone.

Man is unique in creation with this capability.

There is no one who compels him or leads him to either of these 2 paths. Rather he on his own initiative and decision chooses.

• If this were not the case, how could there be the concept of reward and punishment?

There are also many other proofs brought, but the Rambam does not underestimate its complexity, by saying 'Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.'

• Just as a person can sin willfully and consciously, so can he repent willfully and consciously.
• A Baal Teshuvah (Master of Teshuvah going through the above procedure), should not consider himself distant from the righteous because of his sins. This is not true. Once he has taken action, he is really beloved and desirable before the Creator as if he never sinned. Our sages declared ' in the place where Baalei Teshuvah stand, even the completely righteous are not able to stand.' For the Baal Teshuvah has overcome his evil inclination more than the righteous.
• The manner of the Baal Teshuvah is to be very humble and modest. If fools try and shame them by mocking their change of lifestyle, they will pay no attention. On the contrary, they will hear this abuse and rejoice. Whenever they are embarrassed by their past deeds, their merit increases!
• Torah has already promised that ultimately Israel will do Teshuvah towards the end of exile, and she will immediately be redeemed.

But it is all in our own individual hands.

And the reward is great, in this world, or the world-to-come, or both.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and a Kesivah Vechasimah Tovah for a Good and Sweet New Year.