Ari Barak and the Free-Will Paradox

A yeshiva is supposed to be a place where young Jewish men go to learn Torah. It follows an orderly, set routine. Decorum is observed. The food is occasionally palatable. The curriculum is predictable, following the tradition of centuries. In short, it is almost everything that Rabbi White’s yeshiva is not.What conventional yeshiva, for instance, would employ a mute giant with superhuman strength? Or boast technology that would stun any future-tech company? What Rosh Yeshiva would encourage his students to climb sheer rock faces? Or serve them food that routinely sends them into gustatory rapture? Or give them a practical, hands-on guide to the workings of the universe—including field trips?Ari Barak, a mischievous ADHD teenager, meets up with the brainy Howard Segal, and together they quickly discover just how different this institution is.What is Rabbi White’s big secret? Can Ari and Howard solve the ancient paradox of free will? And how will they clean up the mess they’ve made of the history of the world?