Do we truly have free will in every situation? Imagine this, your family wants to go have fun in a way that doesn’t align with your spiritual standards, but they pressure you to come along. Do we have a choice? Can we stand our ground or are we forced to just give in?

Or consider another moment, you’re angry at someone, and you feel the urge to lash out, to release your frustration. Do you you have the choice to pause, restrain yourself, and step back?

The answer is yes. Absolutely. In every situation, we are choosing.

This idea becomes even more striking when we look at the story of Pharaoh. On the one hand, the Torah tells us that G-d “hardened Pharaoh’s heart,” making it difficult for him to release the Jewish People from Egypt, so that the drama of the Ten Plagues can unfold. Yet at the very same time, G-d is angry with Pharaoh for refusing to let the people go. “Send My people so that they may serve Me,” G-d demands.

This raises an obvious question, how can Pharaoh be held accountable if G-d is pressuring him not to release them?

The answer is profound, even under the greatest pressure, free will still exists. No matter how intense the circumstances, a person always retains the ability to choose differently, to rise, to straighten their posture, and to act with leadership and moral courage.

Let us remember this. In moments of pressure, conflict, or confusion, we are never powerless. We always have the ability to choose who we want to be.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Zalman and Esty