יום חמישי, 19 בינואר 2012

Losing Free Will & Getting It Back - Va'era 5771


In Vayechezak Leiv Paroh, Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, that I will harden Paroh’s heart. Much has been written whether it is fair to harden Paroh’s heart. The Ramban discusses it and others do as well. What is often missed is the Rambam’s Chiddush in Hilchos Teshuvah 6:3. The Rambam says that this that happened to Paroh, his lack of Bechirah, is something that can happen to anyone. Rasha Chotei Ad She’yigramu Chata’av V’yistamu Dalfei Teshuvah. If someone sins enough, he can come to a point that his sins cause his ability to do Teshuva to be removed. That is the Chiddush of the Rambam. That is a Pliya. Because we believe that a human being always has Bechira. Why is the Rambam saying that Bechira can be taken away?
I saw in the Leiv Eliyahu a long footnote from Rav Sholom Schwadron who brought the Leiv Eliyahu to print. He inserted a long footnote to explain this Rambam. He has a beautiful explanation. He says sometimes a person sins to a degree that the sins causes that his heart is hardened. That is an Onesh that is a punishment. All punishments can be removed through Tefillah. Davening helps. Afilu Cherev Chada Munachas Al Tzavarei Shel Adom Al Yimna Atzmo Min Hatefilla U’min Harachamim. A person who asks Rachamei Shamayim can have an Onesh removed.
Therefore, says Rav Schwadron, the Rambam is not saying that he no longer has Bechira at all. He no longer has Bechira in this sin, however, if he Davens for the Yeitzer Hora to be removed that Davening will help that from Shamayim he will have Siyata Dishmaya that the Yeitzer Hora will disappear. This is important for each and every one of us. We all have some level of Avodas Hashem in which we to have reached the point of Yishui Leiv. There are things that we do that sometimes we can’t control. Playing on the internet too long. Bate’ling too long. Watching ballgames which is a total waste of time. There are things that we find very difficult to stop doing. We are so in the habit of doing it. We have reached the point of what the Rambam discusses. We are into something so much that it doesn’t go away.
In our Shemoneh Esrei we should Daven for Siyata Dishmaya, we should Daven to the Ribbono Shel Olam to help us overcome the Yeitzer Hora. That is the key to overcoming difficulties in Avodas Hashem, where those difficulties have reached such a point that we find it very hard to overcome.

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