Please before you grab your chest and gasp for air let me explain! I often wonder about this life and this world. If I understand redemption correctly, to be redeemed one must have first done something incorrectly and if this life is about redemption, what can I make of that!? I know that there are things in this world I have done that I need and am looking for forgivness from, but if our names are already written in the book of life and all that we have done has been encoded somewhere: Where is the free will to persue redemption? I guess that is a two part question...

The concept of redemption refers to all of mankind and especially to the redemption of the children of Israel who will bring redemption to all the world. Of course every individual is part of this redemption process of the world. We all have our weaknesses that have caused us to fall into the net of sin and therefore we all need forgiveness and redemption. The book of life does not stipulate what we are going to do with our free choice. We can always change our ways and choose a better and more righteous path of life and this will certainly affect and sometimes determine the outcome of the divine judgment. This divine judgment is based on considerations and divine plans that are beyond the comprehension of the limited human mind. Our service of G-d and our abiding by His laws and morals certainly will bring upon us His good blessings. Rabbi Eliezer Waldman