One of the most confusing conundrums is, if God runs everything, how does man freely choose good from bad? and if man doesn’t freely choose good from bad, than life is meaningless!

The Rebbe clarifies this, with a single ingenuous and obviously accurate resolution:

Though God runs everything, as we are unaware of God’s hand, so, for example, if my parents left out a cookie; then I approach this cookie, because I am unaware that this cookie was left out – and I am unaware that my parent is actually watching my moves – hence, this cookie offers me the choice, between doing what’s right, or say, allowing my instincts to overtake me.

However, this is in fact a well know concept; the Rebbe’s innovation – obviously Chassidus’s, truth’s and philosophically empirical is as follows – at the moment that I am choosing to say steal, is God causing that choice or not?

On one hand, we have amply demonstrated, I am making that choice; but if we believe that that choice is mine alone; then we are saying, that God doesn’t run everything, which also makes no sense.

So a far deeper reality is taking place, and that is that, when I God-forbid steal that cookie, though I have made a choice, there is a deeper process, a meaningful reason why that occurred; for ultimately, the greatest resolve, the greatest choice to do good, ironically, doesn’t come from our mind (as we all know, that there is much we believe we should, but don’t, do) Rather, it comes from our hearts; so for example, in the case of stealing the cookie, it may lead me to regretting (after my instinctual urge was fulfilled) and that remorse will lead to a firm resolution – and similarly, all experiences, even the darkness, is really for the greater resolve – FOR THE FUTURE!