The question may seem strange. And for those of us familiar with the Pesach Haggadah, the answer seems explicit: “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the L-rd, our G-d, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm.”
Done. We’re free. At least from Egypt.
The Talmud, however, suggests that today as well we must emerge from Egypt. Tractate Pesachim states, “In every generation one must look upon himself as if he personally had gone out of Egypt.” Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad and author of Tanya, adds that this obligation is daily, and is indeed exercised via the recital of Shema.
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Historically, many Jews have interpreted this message to reflect the ongoing suffering of the Jewish people. It began with Egypt, continued with Greece, Babylonia and Rome and was sustained with the likes of King Ferdinand, Hitler and Stalin. In one form or another Jews have tirelessly struggled to remove the yoke of persecution.
But what does that mean for us, the free Jews of the 21st century? Does the slogan carry more weight than mere lip service when the maximum amount of captivity or oppression we endure is on the TV screen?
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So let us define liberty.
For each element in creation, liberty is the freedom to be itself. For minerals, freedom is expressed by virtue of its inanimate existence. Not growing; merely being. For the vegetable kingdom, existing is insufficient. Its liberty is marked by receiving the nourishment it requires to grow, such as water, oxygen, and sunlight. However, for the animal, if it has all it needs to survive but is held in a cage and cannot move freely, then it’s in captivity and is not at liberty. Animals require freedom of movement to truly be themselves.
For the human being, even if she has freedom of movement but is lacking freedom of expression she cannot be considered a free person. If someone is blessed with freedom of expression but his mind is controlled, he is not free. Similarly, a person afflicted with a negative practice that is his own making is not free. His body may be fulfilling its desires, but his spirit is in bondage.
Liberty for the soul is accomplished when the soul is nourished and can express itself in limitless form. Otherwise it is emaciated and held hostage.
For a Jew, the neshama requires Mitzvot and Torah study as nourishment and self-expression. It’s less the fresh air and calming music that brings peace and liberty to the soul.* It’s more the bottom-line mitzvah – feeding the poor, putting on tefillin, lighting Shabbat candles – this is real food for the soul. After all, it’s a piece of the Divine.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, who was born today, 11 Nissan, often taught that we have a greater opportunity to achieve freedom than our ancestors. They were forced to fight for freedom. We can choose freedom. It is indeed more difficult to fight for a freedom that seems less necessary. But it is a deeper, more genuine realization of self.
Indeed, we each have our own Egypt to overcome. But we also have the tools to simply remove the shackles of servitude and embrace the rituals of liberty.
May we all experience true inner freedom and liberty this Pesach season. And may our personal redemption lead to the collective redemption, with the immediate arrival of Moshiach.
* Certainly these mediums can provide a proper setting and assist the body in communicating with the soul. But they are after all only a medium. It’s like focusing on the cutlery versus the food, the bottle versus the water.