סימן ק"צ

📋 Translator's Summary — Siman 181 (Keshe'miskashr'im B'Kesher) "And all the people answered together" — and so on.

"And all the people answered together" — and so on. For since the commandment went out from the mouth of Hashem to do this commandment — surely there is no free choice here — and we are compelled in our actions. And the Holy One answered him: "behold I am coming to you — and so on — in the words of the nation" — meaning: that He would not speak the Dibros [Commandments] directly with them — and not in the second-person form [l'nochach Yisrael] — and so on. And through this they would have free choice. In my humble opinion it seems: the meaning is — even though there are many commandments that were stated in the plural form to all of Israel in general. And even so they have free choice. One can say: this is because they were not commanded about them by the mouth of the Holy One Himself who spoke with them directly in the second-person form [l'nochach]. Rather: through an intermediary — namely: through Moshe our teacher — may peace be upon him. Therefore they have free choice. But at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai — where Hashem spoke with them face to face. And had He spoken with them in the second-person form — to all of Israel together — their free choice would have been nullified. Therefore Hashem spoke with Moshe alone. And they heard. Even though His intention was also upon them — even so: since the speech was not with them directly in the second-person form — through this they had free choice. [Exodus 19] For since the commandment went out from the mouth of Hashem to do this commandment — surely there is no free choice here — and we are compelled in our actions. And the Holy One answered him: "behold I am coming to you — and so on — in the words of the nation" — meaning: that He would not speak the Dibros [Commandments] directly with them — and not in the second-person form [l'nochach Yisrael] — and so on. And through this they would have free choice. In my humble opinion it seems: the meaning is — even though there are many commandments that were stated in the plural form to all of Israel in general. And even so they have free choice. One can say: this is because they were not commanded about them by the mouth of the Holy One Himself who spoke with them directly in the second-person form [l'nochach]. Rather: through an intermediary — namely: through Moshe our teacher — may peace be upon him. Therefore they have free choice. But at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai — where Hashem spoke with them face to face. And had He spoken with them in the second-person form — to all of Israel together — their free choice would have been nullified. Therefore Hashem spoke with Moshe alone. And they heard. Even though His intention was also upon them — even so: since the speech was not with them directly in the second-person form — through this they had free choice. Siman One Hundred and Ninety-Sevenסימן קצז And see in the book Chayyay Moharan [his journey to and residence in Uman, Siman 12]: where it is elaborated — that what was understood from the words of Rabbainu was: that regarding great Tzaddikim — the essential free choice they have is only in the aspect of: [Shabbas 87] "Moshe added one day from his own understanding" — as elaborated in this above discourse. For in a matter where there is a clearly explicit commandment — from the Torah or from the Rabbis — and all similar matters — they have absolutely no free choice not to do it. And all the more so regarding an actual transgression — G-d forbid — in this they have absolutely no free choice to do it — G-d forbid. And the essential free choice they have is in a matter where they need to understand from their own judgment — whether it is the will of Hashem to do the matter or not. And they need to weigh in their mind the good thing — and decide how to conduct themselves in this. In particular regarding the lofty and awesome matters of the great Tzaddikim — of blessed memory. And this will be elaborated yet further elsewhere.