[Avodah] animals and bechira??

[David Riceman]

On 1/30/2012 6:56 PM, Micha Berger wrote:
> As I said earlier, see the Meshekh Chokhmah on tzelem E-lokim. He 
> insists bechirah is the very tzelem which makes human beings human.

He is reflecting a commonplace medieval doctrine, that animals make 
impulsive choices and humans make thoughtful choices.  The standard 
medieval claim was that if you placed a donkey midway between two 
equally attractive piles of hay it would starve, since equal and 
opposite impulses balance out.  A human, on the other hand, would 
realize that standing indecisive is a worse choice than going in either 
direction.

I don't that idea because I have seen animals make thoughtful choices.  
There's certainly plenty of scientific literature on animals solving 
problems and using tools.  So if you want to restrict "bechirah" to 
humans, you need to redefine it in an unnatural way.

One slightly less awkward way is to claim that bechirah specifically 
means choosing to obey or disobey God (cf. Meor Einayim on Parshas Bo 
s.v. "ubazeh yevuar").  I don't like that because, as the Meor Einayim 
acknowledges, it implies that people often lack bechirah.

David Riceman