Jewish Liberty & Freedom זמן חרותינו
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ShareThe Jewish Conception of Freedom
1. Control over our own time
2. Control over our own nature
3. Free Society
Level 1: Own our Time
On the simplest level, time relates to freedom. It is in our mastery of our own time – having it and owning it – that our basic freedoms function."
(ד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לָ֚מָּה מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן תַּפְרִ֥יעוּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִֽמַּעֲשָׂ֑יו לְכ֖וּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (ה) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה הֵן־רַבִּ֥ים עַתָּ֖ה עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֖ם מִסִּבְלֹתָֽם׃ (ו) וַיְצַ֥ו פַּרְעֹ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא אֶת־הַנֹּגְשִׂ֣ים בָּעָ֔ם וְאֶת־שֹׁטְרָ֖יו לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ז) לֹ֣א תֹאסִפ֞וּן לָתֵ֨ת תֶּ֧בֶן לָעָ֛ם לִלְבֹּ֥ן הַלְּבֵנִ֖ים כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם הֵ֚ם יֵֽלְכ֔וּ וְקֹשְׁשׁ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם תֶּֽבֶן׃ (ח) וְאֶת־מַתְכֹּ֨נֶת הַלְּבֵנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵם֩ עֹשִׂ֨ים תְּמ֤וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם֙ תָּשִׂ֣ימוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־נִרְפִּ֣ים הֵ֔ם עַל־כֵּ֗ן הֵ֤ם צֹֽעֲקִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר נֵלְכָ֖ה נִזְבְּחָ֥ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
(4) But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you distract the people from their tasks? Get to your labors!” (5) And Pharaoh continued, “The people of the land are already so numerous and you would have them cease from their labors!” (6) That same day Pharaoh charged the taskmasters and overseers of the people, saying, (7) “You shall no longer provide the people with straw for making bricks as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves. (8) But impose upon them the same quota of bricks as they have been making heretofore; do not reduce it, for they are shirkers; that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God!’
(ב) הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחׇדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
(2) This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.
What is the difference between ḥameṣ and maṣa? Time. This means that fundamental to baking maṣa is attention to time. Maṣa is, among other things, a training of sorts — a calling of the distracted, encumbered human consciousness, to pay attention.
It is basic training for free thought.
"Time is precious. How we spend it is how we spend our lives. To be free is not only to do what we want, but also to create and become what we want. For all of it, we need time. We must have it, know it, and be conscious of it. By telling the story of Pesaḥ and performing the miṣva of maṣa — the two remaining biblical commandments of the festival — we learn the lessons through experience and instil them into our minds and heart."
Level 2: Mastering our Nature
“True freedom involves ownership of oneself — of one’s nature, instincts, and impulses.”
“Free will is what distinguishes us from animals.”The Torah strengthens the “muscle” of free-will by commanding individuals to perform actions that go against one’s nature. By nature, man eats what he likes and does what he wants, whatever is physically enjoyable. The Torah commands man to exercise his will, such that he not be a slave to his nature, but rather be a ben ḥorin.
(יז) אַשְׁרֵ֣יךְ אֶ֔רֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְ בֶּן־חוֹרִ֑ים וְשָׂרַ֙יִךְ֙ בָּעֵ֣ת יֹאכֵ֔לוּ בִּגְבוּרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א בַשְּׁתִֽי׃
(17) Happy are you, O land whose king is a master and whose ministers dine at the proper time—with restraint, not with guzzling!
LEVEL 3: Free Society - Freedom Under the Law
David Nassy (1747–1806) was a Sephardic Jewish intellectual and community leader from Suriname. A man of letters and part of the Mahamad of the Portuguese Jewish Nation of Suriname. He was an advocate for Jewish rights and freedoms during the Enlightenment era.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "father of liberalism"
CONCLUSION
וּקְרָאתֶ֥ם דְּר֛וֹר בָּאָ֖רֶץ לְכׇל־יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ
Leviticus 25:10You shall proclaim liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants
(ב) דרור. ידועה שהוא כמו חפשי וכדרור לעוף עוף קטן מנגן כשהוא ברשותו ואם הוא ברשות אדם לא יאכל עד שימות:
LIBERTY. The meaning of the word deror is known. It means liberty. As the flying swallow (deror) (Prov. 26:2) refers to a small bird that produces music when it is free. However, if it is taken captive it refuses to eat and starves to death.
הָשַּׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל.הָשַּׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין
Now we are here, next year we will be in the land of Israel;
this year we are slaves, next year we will be free people.
