Freedom Redefined
As we usher in the holiday of Passover, the time of our freedom, we also reflect on the meaning of freedom in our own daily lives.
Passover is the festival of freedom from slavery. But it seems surprising to celebrate freedom by eating Matzah and not eating bread! Even more so, only forty nine days after leaving Egypt, the Jewish people received the Torah which includes both many positive Mitzvot and prohibitions. Aren't restrictions the exact opposite of freedom?
It depends on how we define freedom. If being free means doing whatever we want, with no rules or limits whatsoever, then limitations restrict our liberties. If I am only free as long as no one tells me what to do and I can follow my every desire, then any restriction is indeed an infringement of my "freedom."
But is that really freedom? What if I have instinctive drives that are harmful to myself? Can you call me free if I am bound by those drives? What about compulsive or addictive behavior? Bad habits? Can't we also be a slave to societal expectations?
Judaism defines freedom very differently. True freedom is the ability to express who we really are. If there are levels to our personality that have not been explored, if our soul has not had the opportunity to be expressed, then we are not yet truly free.
The Torah is the instruction manual to our soul and to live a meaningful life. Even its seemingly restrictive laws are only there to allow us to tap in to our inner self. Because sometimes it is only through restrictions that our true self can come out.
An example of this can be found in the game of soccer. Compared to other sports, soccer is very limiting, because we can't use your hands. So is soccer a frustrating game to play? For a beginner, perhaps it would be. If we constantly focus on the fact that we can't use our hands, then it would seem pretty annoying. But once we get the hang of it we would realize that precisely because in soccer we are restricted from using our hands, we are "free" to develop other skills that otherwise we would never have known that we had.
The same is true with music. Even an amateur guitarist understands that in order to play chords on the guitar the strings must be tied down properly. Otherwise the strings would not play the correct musical notes. The very limitations that confine the strings enable us to enjoy its music. The same is true with regards to any other profession, skill, or relationship. The self control and discipline we exhibit enables our own inner “music” to be heard.
Similarly, the underlying purpose of Jewish customs is not to tie us down. On the contrary, they serve to quieten the noise of our mundane, everyday existence and help us tune in to the deeper messages of life.
On Passover, we are indeed limited in what we eat. But by changing our usual habits, we are liberated to see beyond the everyday. Our souls get a chance to be heard, and nothing can be more freeing than that.
On Passover we not only reminisce about the story that occurred to our ancestors thousands of years ago but we primarily relive the exodus and freedom in our own lives. As we recite in the Hagaddah, “Not only our ancestors did the Holy One, blessed be He, redeem, but rather also us [together] with them did he redeem, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23), "And He took us out from there, in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers."
The ultimate freedom will be experienced with the future redemption as we declare at the end of the Haggadah, “Leshana Haba B'yerushalayim (next year in Jerusalem)”. Each year we pray that by next year we will celebrate together in Jerusalem with the coming of Moshiach which will usher in a peaceful and prosperous time for all nations on earth.
Passover Basics:
Please see below for a few helpful pointers with regards to Passover observances and customs:
Matzah Shmura: While all Kosher for Passover Matzah is good for use on Passover, it is especially important to eat some Shmura Hand-made round Matzah at least for the nights of the Seder. The Zohar explains that Shmura Matzah sustains us with health and faith for the rest of the year.
Selling Chametz: Just as we refrain from eating Chametz (leavened products) during Passover, the Torah instructs us not to have any ownership over Chametz during the holiday as well. To avoid potential financial loss, the Rabbis instituted a mechanism whereby we may sell Chametz to a gentile for the duration of Passover for a nominal sum and repurchase it following the holiday. As the process may be complex, Jewish communities around the world and as well as many retailers and wholesalers perform the sale collectively through a representative. Please see here to submit a brief Chametz sale form free of charge (it may be submitted up until 5pm today).
Matzah: One of the reasons we eat Matzah on the night of the Seder is to commemorate the miracle of Exodus when the Jewish people left Egypt in such a haste that the dough on the backs had no time to rise and therefore became Matzah instead of bread. Matzah also represents humility as opposed to bread which has risen and represents the inflated ego. The key to freedom and happiness is humility.
Four Cups of Wine: It is customary to drink four cups of wine during the Seder corresponding to the four expressions of redemption that is mentioned in the Torah in relation to the Exodus.
Maror: We eat some bitter herbs at the Seder to remember the suffering our ancestors endured in Egypt. It also signifies that attaining freedom is a process and that challenges are also part of the journey to growth.
The Seder: The Passover Seder includes 15 steps which also has deeper significance to find the path to inner freedom and serenity in our own lives.
Moshiach’s Meal: The Baal Shem Tov revealed the practice of celebrating a final meal called Moshiach’s Meal on the concluding day of Passover by drinking four cups of wine and eating Matzah. While the first two days of Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and all forms of slavery, the concluding days of Passover represents the energy and anticipation for the final redemption in our times.
