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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #444444"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">R. Marty Bluke wrote: <<This Maharal seems to contradict a fundamental principle of Judaism that every person has free will and can choose to be a Tzadik or a Rasha. If Esav's innate nature in the womb was to worship Avoda Zara how can he blamed for his actions, likewise if Yaakov's innate nature was for kedusha why should he be rewarded for that? See the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva the beginning of Perek 5 where the Rambam states clearly and unequivocally that there is no predisposition, every person has choice what to be.>><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #444444"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The Rambam doesn’t say that there is no predisposition.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He states that there is free choice and anyone has the ability to become as righteous as Moshe Rabbeinu or as wicked as Yeravam.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, it is obvious that we are not all born with exactly the same inclinations and temptations, whether due to our innate characters or the environment in which we are raised. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I therefore feel forced to assume that the Rambam means that these inclinations and temptations are never so great as to overwhelm a person and remove his free choice. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We always have free choice, but some of us will encounter more difficulties in exercising it properly than others.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #444444"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">This means that Esav could have been a tzaddik, but he would have needed to work much harder at it than Yaakov.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I can’t see anything in the Rambam which contradicts that.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #444444"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Kol tuv<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: #444444"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Dov Kaiser</FONT></SPAN></P> <br /><hr />Add other email accounts to Hotmail in 3 easy steps. <a href='http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/186394593/direct/01/ ' target='_new'>Find out how.</a></body>
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