Parshas Re’eh: The Power of Choice

The ability to choose is a very powerful thing.  Our choices demonstrate to the world who we are: what do we choose to wear; how do we choose to speak to others?  To many of us, choice is the equivalent of freedom.  If we cannot choose, then we de not really feel free: prisoners have no choice as to where they can go or even what they can eat.

Yet on the other hand, too much choice can be too much of a good thing.  As humans, we crave stability and direction.  We want the ability to choose, but we also want it to be clear what the best choice is.  A few years ago, there was a trend of selling colorful kitchen appliances.  A visit to the store would reveal entire shelves of identical mixers – except that each was in a different color.  Not so anymore. Today you will find often two or three colors available – but rarely more.  Companies did studies and determined that when given up to three choices, people were very happy to pick the one they liked best.  But when given more than three choices, people were paralyzed and often ended up buying nothing at all.

This is one of the beauties of Judaism.  Some faiths restrict choices so much that their adherents are constrained.  They all look the same, act the same, do the same things at the same times, and even eat the same food (think of monks in a monastery or nuns in an abbey).  Other belief systems don’t seem to restrict anything at all.  Almost anything is permissible.  Yet, most people find such a system unfulfilling and they search for rules and guidance (restrictions, in other words) from other sources, such as the government, philosophy, or society.

Judaism is neither of these extremes.  Judaism provides a delicate balance between rules and choices.  Take for instance one of the laws included in this week’s Torah portion.  The Torah lays out the laws for determining kosher animals, but it does not say, “you must eat;” it says, “you may eat.”  True, not all animals are permitted, but neither are they all forbidden.  Some are allowed and others not.  And you have the choice of whether or not you want to eat those that are permissible.

The Torah is like this in most of its restrictions.  Sure, there are guidelines and rules we have to follow, but they are not so restrictive that we have no freedom to choose for ourselves.  That is why there is so much variety among Jews today: be they Ashkenazi or Sephardi, Chassidish or Yeshivish, or even vegetarian or meat-eating, they are all Jews.  So feel free to be yourself! The Torah has space for every individual.

Shabbat shalom!

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