О непостоянстве человеческой воли

Be merciful, O Good One, to our evil will - this fault of all troubles. His thoughts are secret illnesses, and his deeds are obvious illnesses. From him came the first transgression of the commandment, which resulted in all sins both to this day and in recent times. You, Pure One, cleanse our freedom; in itself it is a muddy source. I marvel at our free will. She is strong, and yet she is overthrown. She is a ruler, and she became a slave; has the opportunity to win - and loves to concede victory over himself; although she is free, she herself is given into slavery, like a slave, and with her own hand she writes consent to her slavery. This scribe is truly reckless, who seals the handwriting of his debts with his own hand. But blessed is He who gave us freedom with His bread and blotted out the handwriting of our debts with His Cup! Our will easily becomes damaged. Whoever wants to place his treasure in heaven is distracted from this by an envious person who confuses everyone. Whose love does not have purity, his common sense is supported only by praise, like a flower with dew, and with disapproval it fades like grass from the heat, withers from the scorching breath of blasphemy and loses all taste and smell. Praise be to Your will, Lord! She constantly thirsts for our repentance. Blessed be the memory of the righteous who remained steadfast. They did not change like the moon, but were like the sun, whose light is always the same. Their spirit was not like streams of rain that are sometimes full and then suddenly dry up. Waves of temptations of all kinds rushed against the righteous, but they did not faint. Blessed is the Just One, who glorified the crowns with their exploits! And glory did not puff up the righteous, and reproach did not bring them to exhaustion. They were always the same, the fragrance of their lofty virtues was never lost. Their every thought gave off the fragrance of love. The Good Trader, who abundantly lavishes the fragrance of His aromas, delights those who listen to the righteous, and they impart life to their disciples. Blessed is the Good One, Who from His treasures exudes the fragrance of their deeds! Just as Shimei rebelled against David, so the scribes rebelled against David’s Son. Shimei threw stones at David, sprinkled dust (dirt) on him and cursed him, which is how he represented the people of Judah. David was silent, and his silence was the image of his Son, when instead of dust He received spitting, instead of slander, His cheeks were bruised, instead of the typical stones He was pierced with nails. Blessed is the Good One, who suffered not from Shimei alone, like David, but from the whole people! O bitter blasphemy! Who would want to defile his tongue with you? Unless the infidel enters into competition with the all-conquering Creator and considers it possible to resist his Creator. Since the evil one seduces him to evil, he draws the conclusion that the All-Good is cruel. But whoever reconciled us with the Just One will not deliver us from the evil one? Blessed is the Creator, Who does not force the unfaithful, because they have received free will! Is the Creator weaker than the powerless and cannot harm him? Or is there some other force holding Him and preventing the Creator from doing evil to them? Both assumptions are destroyed with one word. Who created famine and disease? If He is the Creator, then He is omnipotent; if he is good, then he is strict. You might be interested in: