That's the freedom I choose

Prof. Eliezer Diamond taught an exceptional webinar on the concept of freedom in the Haggadah and other relevant sources to us Conservative rabbis. Examining the sources carefully he sees three different kinds of freedom discussed. The first freedom is the freedom from human domination. We are servants (עבדים) of the Holy One Blessed be He and not slaves (עבדים) to Pharaoh. The second freedom is the freedom for self-determination. The third freedom is the freedom to hope for a better future even if in the present we are enslaved.

Concerning the third freedom, the Rabbinical Assembly’s Haggadah, The Feast of Freedom, makes explicit what the traditional Haggadah says implicitly.

“And God saw.” What did God see? That the people of Israel were compassionate towards one another. If one completed producing their quota of bricks, they will go help another to the same” (page 48)

“And our misery.” This refers to the drowning of the sons, for Pharaoh decreed, ‘Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile but you shall let every girl live.’ (Exodus 1:22) The Israelites would circumcise their sons in Egypt. The Egyptians would ask, ‘Why do you insist on circumcising them? In a little while we shall throw them into the river.’ The Israelites will respond, “Nevertheless we will circumcise them.” (page 50)

Even when we are not free we are still free to hope for freedom. Circumcision was a protest against the Egyptians and the Egyptian way of life. They had not lost hope. Circumcising the baby boys was the Israelites way of hoping for freedom. Their present situation will change because God has promised to redeem them out of Egypt. And while there were still enslaved, they could choose how they will respond. By being compassionate with one another they demonstrated that Pharaoh could not destroy their humanity despite the harsh labor.

The third freedom I think speaks to our particular situation today. To flatten out the curve many of us are self-sheltering. We are no longer free to do the things we love like going out to restaurants, movies, and the theater, but also all those things we take for granted like going shopping. We are depending on modern day heroes to deliver our groceries and everything else we buy online. Who knows when we’ll be able to escape the confines of our home? I do know that being in such close quarters with other people even with the ones we love can drive us crazy. Especially now we need to show compassion and understanding to those who are quarantined with us. The third freedom helps us remain hopeful that we will survive the coronavirus and be able to go outside and enjoy the fresh air once again. That’s the freedom I choose today.