Ooh Freedom, Ooh Liberty, Ohh Leave Me Alone To Find My Way Back Home (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia -"Liberty")

          Another week passed by, and another horrific shooting occurred in the United States. Like Pittsburgh, and Charlottesville before, this time it was Buffalo. The perpetrator is an avowed racist who included a 180-page manifesto “justifying” his actions with a mix of “Replacement Theory” conspiracy and white paranoia (otherwise known as “white supremacy”) he acquired from Tucker Carleson, QAnon, and assorted hate forums like 4Chan. Over the course of ingesting “Replacement Theory”, white paranoia, and racism for these past several years, a young man’s idea of citizenship, community, democracy, and sacred words of a liberal democracy found in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution became twisted and perverted. Instead of viewing liberal democracy as aspirational affording all people with opportunities for “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”  he now saw liberal democracy as a dystopian place where a Jewish Kabal has organized and manipulated people of color to replace Christian white men and their traditional hierarchy. 

          This week we read from Parsha of Behar. For most of  Vayikra (Leviticus), we learned how the Kohen Gadol, the individual, and a community attains holiness both in terms of interpersonal relationships and with God.   B’nai Israel had been instructed to create “Holy” Time in terms of the seasons, and “Holy” spaces in terms of their proximity to the Mishkan.  Now we read about the laws in which we acknowledge the holiness of Eretz Canaan Israel. We learn that the Jubilee is similar to  Shemitta except on a grander scale, leaving the land to lie fallow for a year while it rests. We learn about the Yovel, the Jubilee year, and all that it entails in terms of our behavior. 

          During the discussion of the Sabbatical year, we read: V’Kidashtem Eit Shat HaChamishim Shana Ukratem Dror Ba’Aretz L’chol Yoshveha Yovel Hi Tiheyeh Lachem V’Shavtem Ish El Achuzato V’Ish el Mishpachto Tashuvu – You shall sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants; it shall be the Jubilee Year for you, each of you shall return to his ancestral heritage and each of you shall return to his family  Lev 25:10. The context of this verse is clear. During the 50-year cycle, whether the indentured servant has served the usual minimum of six years or not, all indentured servants are to be freed. Everyone returns to their tribal land of origin and everything is then, according to modern parlance, “rebooted”.  The Hebrew word for “freedom” that appears in the verse is Dror. The more common Hebrew word for  “freedom” is “ChoFeSh.” In  Ex. 21:2 Ki Tikneh Eved Ivri Shesh Shanim Ya’avod U’Vashviit Yeitzei LaChofshi Chinam If you buy a Jewish servant, he shall work for six years; and in the seventh, he shall go free (LaChofshi), for no charge. The word Dror, in the context of “freedom,”   appears once in the entire Torah in this context, “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land…” The word Dror appears in one other place in an apparently unrelated context.  In Ex. 30:23 Dror appears as a term for  “pure myrrh”. Why would the Torah use a less common word Dror that has another seemingly unrelated meaning as opposed to the more common word Chofshi (Free/freedom) to describe the declaration of Jubilee? 

          Certainly, the word “Freedom” is more commonly used than “Liberty”.  However, when Patrick Henry made his famous statement, he used the word “Liberty”. “Give me Liberty or give me death”. The Declaration of Independence speaks of “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.  The political theorist Hanna Fenichel Pitkin observed that liberty implies ”a network of restraint and order”, hence its use by America’s Founding Fathers in its founding documents and the Liberty Bell.“Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants thereof". Lev 25:10”.    R’ Avraham Bedersi, a late 13th century French Rabbi, explained that both terms Chofesh (Freedom) and Dror (Liberty) are the opposite of bondage.  However, Dror (Liberty) denotes clarity and purity, without any contaminates like "pure Myrrh".  It is not accidental that the Torah uses a word that is the opposite of bondage but connotes “pure” freedom. Throughout the book of Leviticus, the overarching themes have been purity and holiness.  

          So it would make sense that Dror would connote the holiest or purest sense of the concept of Freedom.  R’Avraham Bedersi suggests that Chofesh (freedom) implies the mitigation of slavery, or “freedom from”. Whereas Dror (Liberty) suggests the purest form of freedom, a holy sense of freedom that only exists within the laws and restraints presented in Torah, in other words, a “freedom for” a more sacred purpose. Indeed, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, et al, understood Rabbi Bedarsi’s comments.  Liberty” is a Godly concept.  Liberty invokes holiness and therefore something to which those that live in a democracy ought to aspire. “Declaring Liberty throughout the land”, is an aspirational call for all the inhabitants of the land to live lives of holiness. Declaring a Jewish Cabal that plans and organizes people of color to replace white Christian men perverts and twists the very words that appear on the Liberty Bell. 

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Hearts Of Summer Held In Trust, Still Tender Young And Green (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia "Days Between")

           The Jewish world is a small world, so we were not surprised that our daughter and my wife’s cousin s who live in Teaneck knew the 19-year-old Teaneck,  New Jersey boy who died on LaG B’OMer at Mt. Meron, Israel.  Along with our daughter, we were among the 70,000 people that watched the Livestream of the funeral.  I saw two parents, broken, and shattered. I listened as the mother of the 19-year-old boy began to speak. It was completely heartbreaking and I could only watch for a few minutes. Through her sobs and heavy breathing, I listened to the mother say words like “gratitude”,  and “thanks”. I heard her invoke God. I listened as she told us about her son. There was no anger in her voice;  instead just a profound sense of grief and loss. Her words didn’t reflect a crisis of faith nor a lack of “trust in God’s Plan”.    

          Parsha Behar and Parsha Bechukotai. These are the last two Parshiot in Sefer Vayikrah (Book of Leviticus). Throughout the entire book, we have read how to elevate our lives with holiness. We elevate our lives by thanking God and atoning to God, through a variety of Korbonot. We elevate our lives by avoiding behavior that defiles us; we don’t marry our sisters. We elevate our lives in every day physical behaviors; we only eat certain types of food. We elevate our lives by consciously setting aside holy times throughout the day, week, and season. In Parsha Behar, we elevate our lives and our land with holiness by setting aside another type of sacred time, Shmita (the seventh year.) Just like the seventh day (Shabbat) is a day of rest. Shmita is a year of rest. Every seventh year, all outstanding debts are canceled. The land lies fallow. Slaves and servants are set free. Agriculturally speaking, there is a benefit. Resting the soil for a year allows for replenishment of nutrients. Rabbinically speaking, less time devoted to agricultural concerns meant more time devoted to Torah study! Parsha Bechukotai, being the end of Leviticus, tells us the ramifications for behavior. “If you’ll keep the commandments… then I’ll send the rains in their time, the earth and trees will give forth their produce, you’ll settle securely in the land…I will multiply you…I will walk with you” (Lev. 25:3-10). If we don’t live up to these standards, if we neglect to add Kedushah (holiness) to our lives, if we “don’t perform these commandments, if we consider these decrees loathsome, if we reject these ordinances, if we annul the covenant, then I will do the same to you…. (Lev. 26:14:17) God will annul us. All blessings will become curses.

          While the curses in the Torah portion don’t paint a very pleasant picture, both parshiot reflect the vital importance of Bitachon, trust in God. In Behar, this idea of Bitachon is evident in the commandments of Shmitta (the 7-year agricultural cycle) and Yovel (Jubilee). In the Jubilee year, all debts are canceled, and there is a quasi-national “reboot”. While it may sound nice for those of us with credit card debt, consider the turmoil. The economy would grind to a halt in the months or perhaps in a year or two before the 50th year. What lender would lend knowing that the loan would be canceled within  6 -12 months.  In the Shmitta year, the land lies fallow. We all agree that the field needs a rest, a Shabbat, just like we do. If the field lies fallow, what would people eat? We are urged to trust God. “I will command my blessing upon the sixth year and it will bring forth (enough) produce for three years (Lev. 25:20-21). Just like God provided a double portion of Manna on Friday and thereby guarantee enough food for Shabbat, so too God will “guarantee enough produce in the sixth year. B’nai Yisroel won’t starve in the seventh (Shmita) year.

          Our sixteen-year-old asked me about the mother's words. I explained that I would be far too angry to speak as the mother spoke.  I would have needed more time without thousands of people, to move from anger to grief. Our son then asked me about whether my trust and faith in God would have been affected. Maybe it is easier to have Bitachon, to have trust and faith in God when it comes to large “macro” issues such as rain in the rainy season and dry in the season. Maybe it's easier to have Bitachon -trust, to have trust and faith that a 50-year “reboot” or “re-do” won’t turn people's lives and an economy upside down. Maybe it's easier to have faith and trust in something that is more emotionally distant in an “idea” or in the metaphysical. When my son asked me whether I would have questioned my faith and trust in God. I answered immediately and without hesitation. Yes, a tragedy like this would test my faith, and my trust in God would have waned. I think that it would be a long time before I could trust in God again and have my faith restored. Yes, I could understand the parents speak about the wonderful qualities of their 19-year-old son. I understood why they focused on his “living”, and the things he did over the course of his short 19 years of life. Yes, I could understand it, but I don’t think that I would be able to speak of it nor share it, not yet, not until the shock and anger subsided.

Peace
Rav Yitz 

Hearts Of Summer Held In Trust, Still Tender Young And Green (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Days Between")

Spring has belonged to the Toronto Raptors. Indeed they have captured the hearts of the city. People walk around town wearing Toronto Raptors jerseys and hats. Even though the Raptors won one seven-game series earlier in the month; Toronto fans still carry decade’s worth of numerous heartbreaks for its professional sports teams. As a result of all this heartbreak; Toronto fans struggle with faith in their team. When the Raptors had lost the first two games to the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee, people call into Toronto sports radio and I heard them say things like, “well they had a really good season, we should be happy about that”, or “there is no way they can come back against Milwaukee,” or, “they had their chance in Game 1 and choked.” My son’s friends are die-hard fans, and prior to the two recent games played in Toronto, they collectively hung their heads and all but threw in the towel. Prior to these two recent games in Toronto, they spoke with little or no conviction or faith that the Raptors could win two games. Soon, my son started to sound like his friends and that is when I sat him down for the “playoff talk”. First, losing the two road games of a seven-game series means nothing. It only means that “Home court” advantage is just that, a home court advantage. Second, if the team had one of the two best records in the league, then statistics would indicate that the team had an incredibly good home record. The players, the coach, the organization, and especially the fans, must know that it plays better at home. After our talk, I heard my son speaking to his friends. He shared his faith and supreme confidence and told his friends not to worry because being down 0-2 and returning home was neither in an impossible nor hopeless situation. Needless to say, after the dramatic double overtime win in Game 3 and a blowout in Game 4; my son’s prophetic words to his friends (which originally were mine) have elevated him into a sort of basketball/playoff authority.

This week we read from Parsha Behar, the second to last Parsha of the Sefer VaYikrah, (The Book of Leviticus). Except for the very beginning of Sefer Vayikra, when God “Karah” called out to Moshe, every time God spoke to Moshe or Aharon and Moshe it was with the phrase, Vayidaber Hashem El Moshe Leimor And God Spoke to Moshe saying:”. Now, the second to last Parsha of VaYikra begins with Vayidaber Hashem El Moshe B’Har Sinai Leimor Hashem Spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai saying. Obviously, the words Behar Sinai has been added to this very standard phrase. So far, we have read how to elevate our lives with holiness. We elevate our lives by thanking God and atoning to God, through a variety of Korbonot (sacrificial offerings). We elevate our lives by avoiding behavior that defiles us; we don’t marry our sisters. We elevate our lives in every day physical behaviors; we only eat certain types of food. We elevate our lives by consciously setting aside holy times throughout the day, week, and season. Until now, the focus of holiness has been relationship specific, time specific, location (as in Mishkan) specific. Now for the first time, the focus is upon the covenant land specific, Eretz Yisroel. In Parsha Behar, we elevate our lives and our land with holiness by setting aside another type of sacred time, Shmitta (the seventh year.) Just like the seventh day (Shabbat) is a day of rest. Shmitta is a year of rest. Every seventh year, all outstanding debts are canceled. The land lies fallow. Slaves and servants are set free. Agriculturally speaking, there is a benefit. Resting the soil for a year allows for replenishment of nutrients. Rabbinically speaking, less time devoted to agricultural concerns, to mundane concerns, meant more time devoted to Torah study.

We may consider this notion of Shmitta to be quite nice. All debts are canceled. On the other hand, if the land is to lie fallow, what would people eat? We are urged to trust God. Just like we stood at Sinai and entered into a covenant with God, that covenant had to be based upon trust. Ultimately, that was a covenant is based upon - trust between two parties.  Here again, the notion of Shmitta is based upon Bitachon, - Trust in God.  How much trust do we need in God in order to fulfill the laws of Shmitta? At the end of the 6^th year, the harvest must be bountiful enough to cover the Shmitta year, (7^th year) and the end of the planting and harvesting of the first year of the next cycle.   V’Chi Tomru Ma Nochal BaShana HaShviit Hein Lo Nizrah V’Lo Ne’esof et Tevu’ateinu And if you will say: What will we eat in the seventh year: Behold we will not sow and not gather in our crops! V’Tsiviti et Birchati Lachem BaShanah H’Shishit V’Asat et Hatvu’ah Lishlosh HaShanim I will command my blessing upon the sixth year and it will bring forth (enough) produce for three years (Lev. 25:20-21). Just like God provided a double portion of Manna on Friday and thereby guarantee enough food for Shabbat, so too God will “guarantee” enough produce in the sixth year. B’nai Yisroel won’t starve in the seventh (Shmitta) year. Instead, we are going to acknowledge God’s presence in our lives and in the land. We are going to acknowledge that God is the Primary Force, not nature.

We understand that we cannot teach Trust nor can we teach Faith. Trust and Faith are functions of experience. A Child trusts the parent to return to his/her room only after the parent has left and returned enough times for the baby to learn it. When a team wins enough Game Seven’s or wins close games in a consistent manner, or when an organization has won many championships; the fans will have learned faith in that team’s inevitable success. Just think about the great sports dynasties in hockey, basketball, baseball, and football; the fan base just assumed that winning and championships were inevitable and therefore faith in the dynasty was easily learned and maintained.  Our trust in God is a direct function of our ability to reach various levels of Kedusha. We learn that every rung climbed towards Kedusha, we have the opportunity to engage in a more intimate relationship with God. That intimacy helps us confirm our trust in God. We trust that God is Holy; otherwise, we would have no need to be holy. We trust that everything pure and good is attributable to God. Otherwise, we would constantly defile ourselves. We trust that we are created in God’s image. Otherwise, there is no reason to treat people with kindness first. That place in our soul where trust in God resides, that place is our own individualized Mishkan. The Mishkan was built so that God would dwell among us. So faith or trust in God allows God to dwell within us. Now that Toronto’s series with Milwaukee has boiled down to the 2 out 3 games; hopefully for Toronto Raptor fans, God will be dwelling on the Toronto side of the bench.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Hearts Of Summer Held In Trust, Still Tender Young And Green (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - Days Between)

My family and I were at a Bar Mitzvah last Shabbat. I was speaking to the Bar Mitzvah boy’s uncle who came in from Israel. As we spoke, and I told him that I was a Rabbi of a large synagogue that was about 4 miles from my home; his eyes grew very large and he exclaimed, “You’re him!” He proceeded to clarify himself by explaining that he had heard of this Rabbi in Toronto that walks over 4 miles each way to his shul. He then asked me what I think about when I walk. I explained that on Shabbat morning if the weather is pleasant; I will always begin my walk with the weekly Parsha. I will think about it in terms of my Shabbat morning class, the Divrei Torah that I present in two different minyanim (services). Depending on how much preparation I did during the week; that thinking, going through it in my head; may last a couple of miles or it may last the whole walk. However, if the weather is unpleasant, then at some point my thought will drift to Lottery 649, the New York State Lottery, or the Mega Millions. I will think that I should have bought a ticket. I will think about winning the lottery. I will think how I will set aside some for my children in trust funds. I will think about the various charities I wish to donate. If the lottery is large enough I will think about creating a family foundation where I can spend my days giving Tzedakah (charity).

            Parsha Behar and Parsha Bechukotai. These are the last two Parshiot of Sefer Vayikra (Book of Leviticus). Throughout the entire book, we have read how to elevate our lives with holiness. We elevate our lives by thanking God and atoning to God, through a variety of Korbonot. We elevate our lives by avoiding behavior that defiles us; we don’t marry our sisters. We elevate our lives in everyday physical behaviors; we only eat certain types of food. We elevate our lives by consciously setting aside holy times throughout the day, week, and season. In Parsha Behar, we elevate our lives and our land with holiness by setting aside another type of sacred time, Shmita (the seventh year.) Just like the seventh day (Shabbat) is a day of rest. Shmita is a year of rest. Every seventh year, all outstanding debts are canceled. The land lies fallow. Slaves and servants are set free. Agriculturally speaking, there is a benefit. Resting the soil for a year allows for replenishment of nutrients. Rabbinically speaking, less time devoted to agricultural concerns meant more time devoted to Torah study! Parsha Bechukotai, being the end of Leviticus, tells us the ramifications for behavior. “If you’ll keep the commandments… then I’ll send the rains in their time, the earth and trees will give forth their produce, you’ll settle securely in the land…I will multiply you…I will walk with you” (Lev. 25:3-10). If we don’t live up to these standards, if we neglect to add Kedushah (holiness) to our lives, if we “don’t perform these commandments, if we consider these decrees loathsome, if we reject these ordinances, if we annul the covenant, then I will do the same to you…. (Lev. 26:14:17) God will annul us. All blessing will become curses.

            While the curses in the Torah portion don’t paint a very pleasant picture, both parshiot reflect the vital importance of Bitachon, trust in God. In Behar, this idea of Bitachon is evident in the commandments of Shmitta (the 7-year agricultural cycle) and Yovel (Jubilee). In the Jubilee year, all debts are canceled, and there is a quasi-national “reboot”. While it may sound nice for those of us with credit card debt, consider the turmoil. The economy would come to grinding halt in the months and perhaps year or two before. What lender would lend knowing that the loan gets canceled in 6 months or a year?  In the Shmitta year, the land lies fallow. We all agree that the field needs a rest, a Shabbat, just like we do. If the fields lie fallow, what would people eat? We are urged to trust God. “I will command my blessing upon the sixth year and it will bring forth (enough) produce for three years (Lev. 25:20-21). Just like God provided a double portion of Manna on Friday and thereby guarantee enough food for Shabbat, so too God will “guarantee” enough produce in the sixth year. B’nai Yisroel won’t starve in the seventh (Shmita) year.

            So what does the Torah teach us? We learn that every rung climbed towards Kedusha, confirms our trust in God. We trust that God is Holy, otherwise, we would have no need to be holy. We trust that everything pure and good is attributable to God. Otherwise, we would constantly defile ourselves. We trust that we are created in God’s image. Otherwise, there is no reason to treat people with kindness first. Trust in God, in a sense, provides the foundation for our own individualized Mishkan. The Mishkan was built so that God would dwell among us. The very act of Bitachon (trust in God) is a demonstration of Holiness. As I finished explaining what I think about during my hour and ten-minute walk each way, the other fellow became more intrigued. From his perspective, a person had the opportunity to think/study Torah for several miles and when not thinking about Torah, he was thinking about his family, Tzedakah (charity), and helping those in need (Chesed). Funny, I just needed something to think about on Shabbat while walking back and forth. This mean reminded me that I had figured out a way to make that particular walk just a bit more holy than a walk on any other day.  

Peace,

Rav Yitz 

Freedom From and Freedom To Be (John Barlow & Bob Wier- "Lost Sailor")

Whenever we travel with our children back to the United States, I always feel compelled to give them a history lesson about the country in which they are citizens. Make no mistake; the experience that our children are getting by living outside of the United States has been wonderful in terms of perspective. However because our children learn about Canadian history, we tend to home school them in regards to U.S. History, Civics and Government.  We had a wonderful learning opportunity when we visited Philadelphia for a simcha (a happy occasion). I insisted that we see Independence Mall,  (where the Congressional Congress signed the Declaration of Independence), the Liberty Bell, and even Valley Forge, (where General Washington and the Colonial Army spent a horrible winter) prior to their battle with the British. Of course I enjoyed it. However the most meaningful moment for my children occurred while looking at the Liberty Bell. Our children looked at it and we made them read the inscription on the Bell: “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants thereof. Lev 25:10”. First we asked our children what that meant. Then we asked them what book this verse was from? They thought about it for a moment and then realized that it was from the Torah. They didn’t realize that Lev., short for Leviticus, is English for VaYikrah.  The most fascinating moment occurred when they realized that the people who made the bell, and used that quotation, were using a pasuk from the Torah. Then they asked the obvious question, “Why did they use a verse from the Torah and why that particular verse for Liberty Bell?”

This week we read the double Parsha of Behar/Bechukotai. These final two parshiot offer us insight into another dimension of Kedushah. For most of  Vayikra (Leviticus), we learned how the Kohen Gadol makes himself holy. We have learned how the individual makes himself/herself holy. We have learned how the entire nation makes itself holy. We have learned how holiness permeates all are physical activities including what we eat, how we treat others and the relationships that may and may not have.  We have learned how we designated holiness in terms of seasons and special occasions. Now we read about the laws in which we acknowledge the holiness of Eretz Canaan Israel. We learn that the Jubilee is similar to  Shemitta accept on a grander scale, leaving the land to lie fallow for a year while it rests. We learn about the Yovel, the Jubilee year and all that it entails in terms of our behavior. Sefer Vayikra concludes with the Torah explaining the rewards for following these and all the commandments that God gave us at Sinai as well as the punishments that would befall us if we fail to observe these commandments.  

During the discussion Yovel, the Sabbatical year, we read: V’Kidashtem Eit Shat HaChamishim Shana Ukratem Dror Ba’Aretz L’chol Yoshveha Yovel Hi Tiheyeh Lachem V’Shavtem Ish El Achuzato V’Ish el Mishpachto Tashuvu – You shall sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants; it shall be the Jubilee Year for you, each of you  shall return to his ancestral heritage and each of you shall return to his family. The context of this verse is clear. During the 50 year cycle, whether the indentured servant has served the usual minimum of six years or not, all indentured servants are to be freed. Everyone returns to their  tribal land of origin and everything is then, according to modern parlance, “rebooted”.  The interesting thing about this verse is the Hebrew word for freedom. Ordinarily “freedom” is “ChoFeSh.” The word ChoFeSh is used when the concept of freeing the indentured servant is first mentioned  in Parsha Mishpatim Ex 21: 2 Ki Tikneh Eved Ivri Shesh Shanim Ya’avod U’Vashviit Yeitzei LaChofshi Chinam: If you buy a Jewish servant, he shall work for six years; and in the seventh he shall go free (LaChofshi), for no charge. The word use in this week’s Parsha is DROR. The word DROR  appears once  in the entire Torah in this context, “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land…” Dror appears in Ex. 30:23 however it means “pure myrrh” Why would the Torah use Chofshi (Free/freedom) in Exodus and then use the word Dror (liberty) at the end of Leviticus in Behar/Bechukotai?

Certainly the word “Freedom” is more common than “Liberty”.  When Patrick Henry made his famous statement, he used the word “Liberty”. “Give me Liberty or give me death”. R’ Avraham Bedersi a late 13^th century French Rabbi explains that both terms Chofesh (Freedom) and Dror (Liberty) are the opposite of bondage.  However Dror (Liberty) denotes clarity and purity, without contaminates. Much like the term Dror is used to describe the pure Myrrh.  It is not accidental that the Torah uses a word that is the opposite of bondage but connotes a “pure” freedom. Throughout the book of Leviticus, the overarching themes as been purity and holiness.  So it would make sense that Dror would connote the holiest or purest sense of  the concept of Freedom.  R’Avraham Bedersi suggests that Chofesh (freedom) implies the mitigation of slavery whereas Dror (Liberty) implies the total abolition of slavery.  Left with that understanding we lose the nuance of “holiness” that accompanies Dror.

Liberty is not solely confined to people. It extends to the land. It extends to every aspect of life.  Freedom is something that is given or taken by people. Liberty  is not something that a person gives to another, nor is it something that a person gives to animal. Rather “Liberty” is a godly concept.  Liberty invokes holiness and therefore something that God grants to people and to “all the inhabitants”.  Since we are all created in God’s image, since God breathed God’s spirit into the first man (Gen. Chapter 2); one could argue that Liberty is an internal concept. Someone may be a slave, but their soul is free, therefore they are in a state of Liberty.  Liberty is the spiritual version of freedom. 

Shavuot, the commemoration of the Matan Torah (the Giving of the Torah) begins a week from this coming Shabbat.  Perhaps freedom suggests a lack of slavery or servitude. Liberty suggests that the highest level of freedom is one in which only the rule of law governs all of us equally, without bias or prejudice. As we explained “Liberty” to our children, it was re-assuring to think that those who inscribed the Liberty Bell, understood that Liberty was the most noble and the most pure form of Freedom. Needless to say, our children were impressed when they realized that our Torah was so integral in the establishment of the United States, their place of birth.

Peace,

Rav Yitz