The Path to Freedom

The Torah distinguishes between two historical moments in the origins of the people
of Israel. The first is described in the Book of Genesis, which details the lives of the
patriarchs and matriarchs who made a covenant with God. They laid the foundation
upon which the whole people later grew. The Book of Exodus recounts the founding of
the nation. The patriarchs and matriarchs were later remembered by their descendants as individuals full of spirituality, whose special dialogue with God would be renewed from generation to generation.

The Israelite people’s first encounter with God was in Egypt. For some unexplained
reason, God foretold to Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved and tortured
in a foreign land and that He would bring them out of there to return to the land of
Canaan (Genesis 15:13-14). The act by which God established a relationship with the
descendants of the patriarchs was a process of liberation. When God made the
covenant with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, He presented Himself to them
saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of
slavery.” (Exodus 20:2)

This process of liberation would instill a sense of respect among the Israelites both for
their own people and for others. No one should be mistreated or tortured as their
ancestors had been in Egypt, as explained in Deuteronomy 5:12-14; 15:7-21; 24:17-22.
The verbs the Torah uses to describe God’s actions do not only refer to liberation. In Exodus 6:6, the verbs God uses to foreshadow the plan of liberation for the people of
Israel are: to bring out, to free, to redeem (ligol), and to take; in Deuteronomy 7:8 and
15:15, the verb used is to redeem (lifdot). The Torah uses a special term when
referring to the liberation of slaves: dror (Leviticus 25:10). The liberation from Egypt
meant more than liberation from the yoke of enslavement; it was an existential
experience through which people learn to overcome, individually and collectively, the
miseries that enslave existence. It was this experience that allowed the people, 49 days
after leaving Egypt, to make a covenant with God at Mount Sinai and receive the
ethical and normative code found in the Torah. That is why the liberation from Egypt
must be remembered every day (Deuteronomy 16:3), and especially in each of the
special annual celebrations.

As always, the rabbis provide much insight into these topics. They use the word herut
to designate both the liberation of a slave (b. Berakhot 5a) and the Exodus from Egypt
(m. Pesahim 10:5). This word, incidentally, appears on coins minted during the first
major revolt against Rome (66-70 CE), as well as during the second or Bar Kokhba
revolt (132-135 CE), referring to the liberation from the Roman yoke.

In addition, we find in the Mishnah (m. Avot 6:2) the teaching of Rabbi Yehoshua ben
Levi, who relates herut to the similarly sounding word harut or “graven.” In Exodus
32:16 we read, “And the tablets (with the ten commandments) were the work of God,
and the writing was God’s writing, graven [harut] upon the tablets”), adding that “for
no person is free except one who engages in the study of the Torah.” Thus, the study of the Torah and its precepts, along with their fulfillment, primarily aims at liberating the individual (Bereshit Rabbah 44:1; Maimonides, Guide, III, chapter 26). Being a free
person is not just a matter of circumstance—it is the outcome of spiritual development. The path of freedom that God provided for the people of Israel during their liberation from Egypt should serve as the foundation of Jewish culture for all generations to come.

Importantly, the Passion of Jesus unfolds in Jerusalem during the Passover celebration.
He had gone there, as every Jew of his time was required to do, to celebrate the ritual
meal. He conveyed a message of renewal for his brothers (Matthew 15:24), a new
covenant, but linked essentially to the first one. The liberation of the human being
from all the elements that prevent each one to seek a relationship of peace and love
with the neighbor is a common denominator for both of them. This fact, along with
many others, relates Passover and Easter.

This year, Passover and Easter fall on the same dates, presenting an opportunity for
Jews, Christians, and others who share similar cultural values. It prompts us to consider
how to advance the age old project of developing individuals who are free from
destructive instincts, egoism, and egocentrism. The painful reality and spiritual
darkness we currently face makes this question both urgent and significant.

On Passover night, parents have the obligation to teach their children the Passover
story. The vocabulary may change, but the story and the message remain the same.
The Christian community will gather in churches to reenact the story in which Jesus,
inspired by the same message, left his own. The hope for a new reality will be
rekindled, just as it has been for millennia, with the conviction that, through human
will and God’s help, it will materialize in our time.

Happy Passover to my Jewish brothers and sisters. Happy Easter to my Christian brothers and sisters.