Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 110

How Is Free Will

I heard that a person asked him how free will is. He answered him in simplicity: That free will is in the hand of a person in simplicity. If he wants, he does; and if he does not want, he does not do. And I recorded this, for it is very necessary, for many people are very confused about this because they are very accustomed to their actions and ways from their youth. Therefore, it seems to them that they have no free will, Heaven forbid, and they cannot change their actions. But in truth, it is not so, for certainly every person has free will always in every matter, and as he wants, he does. And understand these matters very well.

How is Free Will - Likutay Moharan - volume 2 - Torah-teaching 110

Likutay Moharan 2:110

I heard that someone asked him how free will [בְּחִירָה, ability to choose freely in all actions] works. He replied in simplicity [פְּשִׁיטוּת, straightforwardly, without complexity]: that free will is in the hands of a person, in simplicity—if they want, they do, and if they don’t want, they don’t do. I recorded this because it is greatly needed, for many people are very confused about this due to being so accustomed to their actions and ways from youth. Thus, it seems to them that they have no free will, Heaven forbid, and cannot change their actions. But in truth, it is not so, for certainly every person has free will always over every matter, and as they want, they do. Understand these matters deeply.

Free Will - Likutay Moharan - volume 2 - Torah-Teaching 54

Likutay Moharan 2:54

Free will [בְּחִירָה, ability to choose freely in all actions] is in the hands of a person to act according to their will, and even all matters—everything is in the hands of the Israelite (person) [אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי, Jew, empowered with unique spiritual agency] to conduct everything according to their will, according to their free will. For in the hands of Israel, there is free will over every matter in the world. For with others, there are matters in which they are compelled, but with the Israelite (person), every single thing they do, such as traveling to some place or the like, involves service [עֲבוֹדָה, spiritual work through intentional actions], and therefore, they have free will over everything.