Every morning we say, “Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, for not having made me a slave”. But do you know what a slave is? My boss expects me to be in work by 9, am I his slave? I have to take out the bins out every Friday – does that make me a slave? To who? My wife wants some money to buy some new clothes, am I enslaved to satisfy her? I need to check my emails every five minutes. Am I enslaved to myself?
This week’s Sedra we picture the Hebrews over 2500 years ago on the original Pesach become free after two hundred and ten years of servitude. Every night in the Evening Services we make reference to this awesome event calling it “everlasting freedom”. Seemingly in the post exodus era we are intrinsically free; we thank Hashem every morning for not being a slave – so what makes me free?
Interestingly I note two dictionary definitions for freedom: “the lack of a specific constraint, or of constraints in general; a state of being free, unconstrained” and “the state of being free, of not being imprisoned or enslaved”.
It’s important to note that both these definitions describe freedom as something passive. It’s the absence of restrictions which creates freedom. To avoid constraints is freedom?……. perhaps!?
Philosopher Eric Hoffer who was awarded ‘The Presidential Medal of Freedom’ said about freedom – “We feel free when we escape – even it be but from the frying pan into the fire”.
Seemingly freedom is quite a short-lived experience – the dodging between the raindrops – between frying pan and fire! Certainly not ‘everlasting freedom’? Can the person with a ‘degree’ in freedom not find anything more exhilarating, perpetual or meaningful in freedom?
There is a famous catchphrase taken from the Torah which has been used many times as a cry of freedom. My father [Dr Hibbert] related that in the 80’s an organisation called the SSSJ (Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry) rallied successfully to help save Jews trapped in the Soviet Union. Their slogan? “Let my People Go”.
Famous singer M.B.D has an album called, “Let My People Go”. Now there is even a book (a great one too) called “Let my Nation Go!” describing the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt.
This phrase is used in the Torah six times [at last count!] when Moshe comes before Pharaoh to demand the freedom of the Jews. However my father pointed out something quite revealing. EVERY single time this phase is used there is a word added on at the end. Let my Nation go, “vaya’avduni” – that they will serve me. True Torah freedom is synonymous with slavery!!!!
In the words of Charles Kingsley, “There are two freedoms – the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought”. Similarly one fridge magnet reads, “Freedom means choosing your burden”. Or as Rabbi Akiva Tatz put it, “The greatest freedom is being a slave to the truth”.
“Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty”. To be freed from Egypt to do what we want would have been anything but real everlasting freedom. We would have been swayed this way and that, by one desire then the next, between frying pan and fire!
The Medresh sums it up, “the wicked are in the jurisdiction of their desires, the righteous their desires are in their jurisdiction”. Coming out of Egypt to eventually receive the Torah was “everlasting freedom” – forever on, no matter the situation man can achieve freedom.
The ideals that Judaism preaches are to be etched on our hearts, say the Rabbis. Not on our minds! On our hearts. Our very desires are kept in check when living as a Jew. When we let our desires rule, and enter into the domain of our craving, we escape – but that escape is the greatest enslavement. To be dominated by material and physical strivings is anything but free.
Indeed the process of our nation being born was through being slaves in Egypt. That was the training ground – first slaves to Pharaoh then slaves to Hashem. Why Let My People Go? So that they will serve me!
Good Shabbos
Yaakov