Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Dr. David Luchins on Passover - The Meaning Of Freedom
Have you ever wondered about some of the contradictions inherent in that very first Pesach night in Egypt?
An example - The Jews are commanded to eat half-baked matzah bread, with a fast meal of lamb and herbs, and to have their loins girded and walking sticks in their hands. Not sure exactly what loins girded means or how exactly one eats with walking sticks in hand, but I suppose the contemporary analogy would be a running suit and Nike Air Exodus sneakers. Their food, their dress, every aspect of their actions clearly attest to their aching desire to leave Egypt at once, after all those painful years.
However, they are not allowed out of their houses all night, even after Pharaoh has granted them leave (shortly after midnight). To further add to the confusion, they are not permitted to eat of the Pacshal Lamb after midnight!
So having dreamed of freedom throughout over a century of bondage, the newly freed slaves find themselves trapped in a strange new sort of “freedom”; where their every action all evening bespeaks a desire to be free of Egypt and yet they must wait, supine and helpless, until the appointed hour of dawn.
Baffling.
I have seen a few answers to this, but would like to I add my own thought. My Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik z"ll liked it when I suggested it to him, but he was always a gracious person.
Had the Jews gone free at the strike of midnight they would, on some level, still be m’shubad. (beholden) to Pharaoh, feeling that he had freed them. After all, they left on his say-so. Conversely, had the Jewish people spent all night relaxing and partying, dining on dainty cakes and fine wine, then leaving whenever they felt like it, they could reason that they freed themselves, through their own actions.
Rather, HaShem wants them (and us, centuries later) to understand that true freedom entails restraint and self control. He has our ancestors eat a hastily prepared mean and dress in a fashion that testifies to just how desperately they want out (Now right now and not a second longer!) and then has to wait until the time He has selected as appropriate.
Welcome to Freedom!
Freedom is not always doing what you want, with whom you want, when you want. Freedom is the ability to choose between options and the opportunity to make the right choices for ourselves, our families, Klal Yisroel and Humanity.
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