In today’s parasha, there is a very famous passage: Proclaim liberty throughout the land and unto all the inhabitants thereof…you probably recognize it as the statement engraved upon the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
As Americans we talk about freedom as being an integral part of our lives. We recognize our freedom to express our personal opinions in speech and in the press, to practice our religion, and to meet peacefully in groups. We also recognize our right to petition our government, to bear arms, and to have a trial by an impartial jury. But the definition of freedom is really culturally bound. Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson explains that in the former Soviet Union, freedom implied relief from unemployment and homelessness. He points out that in America, relief from unemployment and homelessness are privileges not freedoms.
Rashi commented on this verse in the following manner: He defined freedom as the ability to reside anywhere and not be subjugated to the power of others. Rashi felt that one could not be truly free unless he/she could determine where to live. He was referring to the freedom of a slave who chose to remain with his/her master even after being permitted to go free at the end of a 6 year period.
In Judaism, freedom does not imply “freedom from” rather it implies “freedom to” …and that freedom to is the freedom to be engaged in divine service. In the eyes of Judaism we are not servants of any human being, but we are servants of G-d. When you have the freedom to be doing what is right in the eyes of G-d, you recognize that you are connected to something larger than yourself that places demands on your life.
As we assume our rightful place in this world, may we always know the freedom to determine where we will live and how we will serve G-d. May we not see our freedom as freedom from involvement with our heritage, but rather as freedom to engage in study, prayer, and actions that will draw us nearer to G-d.
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