The Gift and Responsibility of Choice
Parshat Nitzavim; Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20
Why does the Torah urge us so passionately to “choose life”? In Parshat Netzavim, as Moses stands before the people, he delivers one of Scripture’s most stirring calls to agency and hope: “Behold, I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You should choose life, in order that you and your offspring will live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
At first glance, this seems obvious—who wouldn’t choose life and blessing over death and curse? But the Torah’s message is deeper and more nuanced. G-d is telling us that, in the real world, the path of goodness and the path of evil are not always clearly marked. Sometimes, doing the right thing can be hard, and the rewards aren’t always immediate or obvious. So, G-d reminds us: trust Me, even when things are unclear. I know where your choices lead, and My only desire is for your ultimate good.
Judaism places immense faith in human free will—the capacity to choose between right over wrong, not just because of instinct or circumstance, but from a place of true autonomy. The entire story of the Bible, from Adam and Eve onward, is the story of G-d offering humanity the dignity and risk of freedom. Without free will, the Torah’s instructions, rewards, and warnings would make no sense. As Rabbi Chanina taught, “All is in the hands of heaven, except for the awe of heaven” (Talmud Berachot 33b). Our reverence, our moral choices, are uniquely ours. “This autonomy is a gift, but also a responsibility—because our freedom unfolds within a larger divine framework.”
This freedom is not absolute. We can’t change the laws of nature or rewrite G-d’s ultimate plans. But within the world as it is, we are empowered to choose our role—to bring blessing through our actions and words, to turn back towards our father in heaven when we’ve strayed, and to shape the meaning and depth of our own story.
Remarkably, Jewish thought teaches that G-d created both good and evil, not as equals, but so that our choices would be real and meaningful. Evil exists only because G-d willed it as a backdrop for our freedom; it is through choosing goodness—kindness, justice, honesty—that we connect to the Divine spark within us. When we choose life, we align our will with G-d’s, and in that sacred meeting, we come alive with purpose and hope.
This isn’t always easy. The Torah acknowledges how hard it can be to choose well, especially when the other path seems tempting or effortless. Yet it assures us: you are never stuck. No failure is final. G-d’s faith in you is unshakable, and your power to begin again is real.
May this week grant us the clarity to discern the good, the courage to choose it, and the faith to know that every choice for life brings us closer to G-d, to each other, and to our truest selves.
I wish you a good week and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yonatan Hambourger