The Challenge in Finding Freedom

April 2024

By Rabbi Yossi Groner, Congregation Ohr HaTorah

“Passover is the time of our liberation,” says the Jewish prayer book. On the night of Passover, we conduct a seder to celebrate our freedom. A freedom which is cherished as a sacred G-d given right to humanity. This freedom originated during the original Passover, marking our ancestors exodus from Egypt. As we recite in the Haggadah, if not for this night, we would still be slaves in Egypt.

This raises the question, what defines freedom? Is it freedom from slavery? Freedom from tyranny? Many of us in the Jewish community today have not experienced external forms of slavery or tyranny. So how do we celebrate our freedom?

In truth, there is a form of slavery and tyranny that can be more oppressive than the conventional form of slavery. That would be a slavery that arises from within us. It can be on many levels from extreme as addictions which are visibly destructive vices or a dependency on outside approval or not being able to break an unhealthy habit.

Internal slavery can be more damaging than external slavery. Loss of internal freedom can destroy the inner essence of a person more than external slavery. It causes us to lose the sense of our real identity and it can be quite intimidating when we cannot express our true feelings.

It is interesting to note that people who are free on the inside are free on the outside as well. To mention a few well known Jewish heroes who displayed unabashed heroism under the most oppressive circumstance, see Victor Frankel, Natan Sharansky and most of all the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yossef Yitzchok Schneerson who stood alone against the mighty Soviet Regime in his valiant fight to keep the Jewish flame alive.

Today, after October 7, we in the Jewish community are in a precarious situation. The anti-Israel rhetoric is increasing at an alarming rate. Jews world-wide are despised for Israel’s legitimate actions of self-defense. Some people are intimidated by all this noise that they are afraid to identify in public with Israel.

Others are questioning themselves and are unsure of where they stand on this issue and pray that it should just disappear.

True freedom means that we are in synch with our G-d given soul. That we allow those deep spiritual feelings which are found in the hidden recesses of our soul to emerge and shout out loud so the whole world can hear: “I am a Jew, and I am proud!”

True freedom is that we feel confident when we wear a Jewish symbol in public or a pin that reads “I stand with Israel.” True freedom is that we are in full solidarity with the people in Israel. True freedom is when our decisions are persuaded by Torah insights. True freedom is when we have clarity of vision of what is expected of us as a member of the Jewish community.

This year the quest for freedom is more meaningful and poignant. On Passover, when we celebrate our freedom from bondage, let us resolve to be truly free and to proclaim proudly: “Am Yisrael Chai” and that this coming year in Jerusalem.