We Were Freed to Choose

by Ram ben Ze'ev

We Were Freed to Choose

As we prepare our homes and hearts for פסח (Pesach), we revisit the powerful truth at the core of our national story: we were redeemed from slavery so that we could become free. But true freedom in יהדות (Yahadut – Judaism) is not about doing whatever we like — it is about the privilege and responsibility to choose what is right.

There is a phrase often repeated: "We have free will, but that doesn’t mean that G-D doesn’t know which choices we will make." This concept, while easily spoken, cuts to the very heart of our relationship with the Creator, especially at this time of year.

We read in שמות (Shemot – Exodus), as G-D prepares to bring the final plagues upon מצרים (Mitzrayim – Egypt), that Pharaoh's heart is hardened. Many commentators struggle with this. If G-D hardened his heart, how can Pharaoh be blamed?

But as the Rambam writes in Hilchot Teshuvah, Pharaoh first hardened his own heart. Only later did G-D confirm his direction, locking in the consequences of his choices. This teaches us something vital: G-D doesn’t take away our free will — He honours it.

Even when we choose wrongly, the ability to choose is a gift. And when we choose rightly, we elevate creation itself.

G-D Knows — But We Choose

Judaism teaches that G-D exists beyond time. He sees the beginning, middle, and end simultaneously. Just as we might view the path of a river from a mountaintop, G-D sees all our choices — past, present, and future — without influencing our decisions.

His knowledge is not coercion. His awareness is not a trap. It is simply truth — a higher truth that does not diminish our responsibility.

In the Holy Zohar, it is written that the soul descends into this world specifically to confront the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) and to choose light over darkness. Without free will, there would be no purpose in this descent. The struggles we face, the choices we make, the tears, the triumphs — these are what give meaning to our existence.

Freedom Begins With Bechirah (Choice)

Pesach is not merely a commemoration of physical liberation from slavery — it is a celebration of the inner, eternal freedom of הבחירה החופשית (bechirah chofshit – free will). The מצה (matzah), the bread of affliction, reminds us that we once had no choices. The four cups of wine remind us that now, we do.

At the heart of the סדר (Seder) is a question — "מה נשתנה הלילה הזה" ("Mah nishtanah ha’lailah hazeh" – Why is this night different?). Judaism begins with questions, with curiosity, with the freedom to ask, seek, and ultimately choose.

The wicked son at the table is not punished for asking a hard question — he is challenged because he removes himself from the story. He denies his connection to the people, the faith, the destiny. That is the danger of abandoning our responsibility to choose. But even he is not cast out. He is still seated at the table. Because until our final breath, the power to choose remains.

This Yom Tov — Choose Greatness

This פסח, let us remember that the Exodus was not the end, but the beginning. We were not freed to follow our appetites — we were freed to follow the Torah. We were not freed to drift — we were freed to rise.

G-D already knows the greatness you are capable of. Not because He forces it — but because He sees what is possible when a human being, created in His image, chooses to reflect that image in the world.

May your Yom Tov be filled with meaning, light, and the kind of freedom that only comes when you take hold of your destiny and say: I choose to live as G-D intended.

חג כשר ושמח

Chag Kasher VeSameach

A Kosher and Joyful Festival

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Bill White (Ram ben Ze'ev) is CEO of WireNews Limited, Mayside Partners Limited, MEADHANAN Agency, Kestrel Assets Limited, SpudsToGo Limited and Executive Director of Hebrew Synagogue. Bill White also writes on Substack under the byline "Bill White Says..."