Freedom

Found 8 Search results

1. Liberating the Spirit of the Israelites

   Rabbi Ezra Bick

   The first two chapters of Parashat Va'era are disruptive to the narrative sequence. Several times, God tells Moshe (and Aharon) that they are to go to Pharaoh and take the Children of Israel out of Egypt. While Moshe seems reluctant, the triple repetition of descriptions that seem identical is unclear.

2. "'Zakhor' And 'Shamor' Were Uttered As One Word"

   Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

   Shabbat in the Ten Commandments in Shmot is linked to the Creation, but elsewhere in Shmot Shabbat is linked to the Exodus from Egypt. Shabbat in the Ten Commandments in Devarim is linked to the Exodus, and introduces new innovations. The central innovation is the presentation of the Exodus as the absolute source for the commandment of Shabbat.

3. How to Save Israel

   Rabbi Ezra Bick

   Why is Moshe so reluctant to speak to the Jewish people while they were enslaved in Egypt, and begin the process of the exodus? Moshe understands that his task entails more than merely informing the Jewish people that they are about to leave Egypt, but rather he must free the Jewish people from the psychological state of enslavement and dependency that they have sunk to. By closely examining the text as a whole, we can understand how every part of the exodus is meant to encourage that inner process of spiritual liberation within the Jewish nation.  

4. Ending Liberty and Breaking the Covenant

   Rabbi David Sabato

5. What Is the Story of Shimshon Doing in Sefer Shoftim?

   Rabbi Ezra Bick |

   Why does the Shimshon story exist? None of the other stories in the book of Shoftim have extended birth stories and such long accounts.The story of Shimshon does not seem to fit into the usual pattern.  What messages can we glean from the story? The Tanakh is interested in portraying the raw power of unrestrained freedom, but Shimshon's extreme lack of control leads the story - and his power- to spiral into chaos. Shimshon's task is to arouse the spirit of freedom in Bnei Yisrael. He neglects the onus of curbing his power and channeling it within constraints. The spirit of freedom is a good thing, but everyone has the responsibility of restraint while cultivating  freedom and power.

    

6. Pesach vs. Sukkot - The Freedom of Matzot

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 20 minutes

   When we compare Pesach to Sukkot, we find an interesting phenomenon: they both seem to be holidays lasting seven days, but whereas Sukkot involves actively dwelling in the Sukka for seven days, Pesach is different. There is one packed night of Pesach, followed by seven days of passively avoiding leavened bread. There seems to be no specific requirement of activity. Is this really the way the "festival of freedom" is meant to be? How does the concept of "cheirut" (freedom) fit in, and must we have a second look at the instructions surrounding Pesach?

    

7. A Psalm for Independence Day

   Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

   The first Chief Rabbis of the State of Israel, Rav Herzog and Rav Uziel, along with several other important rabbinical figures, selected chapter 107 of Tehillim for recitation on Yom Ha-atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). This prophetic psalm is composed with a view towards the future (“God’s redeemed shall declare…”); it is indeed well suited to the day, as it speaks of the ingathering of the exiles, to which we are witness in our generation and of which Yom Ha-atzmaut is the principal symbol.

   We examine this exciting psalm in detail.

    

   Translated by Kaeren Fish

8. Nitzavim: It's Great to Be a Jew!

   Rabbi Jay Kelman