[Avodah] Machnisei Rachamim

[hankman]

RZS wrote:

"Why would death change anything in this regard?  Do meisim lose
their bechirah?  Do they no longer have their own zechuyos, so that
their prayers may achieve something that ours can't, just as they
did when they were alive?"


CM responds:

I would think that meisim indeed do not have bechira. There would be no point in having bechira since its only purpose is to produce nisayon and the opportunity for gemul for appropriate choices and only possible when the neshama is in a guf. A meis is chofshi min hamitzvos precisely for this reason, he has no guf and no bechira. His alotted time for nisayon is over. I always understood this to be peshat in Rebbi Yaakov in  the mishna in Avos 4:17 "yofeh sho'o achas betshuva umaasim tovim bo'olom hazeh mikol chayai ho'olom habo."

I guess this leaves open the possibility of what I will call "simple choice" as opposed to bechira, ie choice not related to tov vera and rotzon Hashem, but simply choice of do I go right or left (when nor related to "moral choice" = bechira) or do I eat Bran Flakes or Rice Krispies. This notion might lend itself to explain some aggaditos about nishmos meisim seeming to make choices. (not really sure about that).

KVT veKol Tuv

Chaim Manaster
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