Freedom!
Make the best of this great Shabbat
W.G.H
The last Shabbat prior to Passover is called “The Great Shabbat”. For a few reasons, which I am not qualified to define. Suffice it to say, that during this Shabbat prayers, it is customary for the Rabbi, the elder, the wise to deliver a big sermon for the congregation about the holiday, what we’re supposed to do and all of that.
In times like ours, when things seem to be upside down and inside out, we try to utilize logic to solve irrational or seemingly crazy behaviors and beliefs. This leads to frustration, and leaves us with dissatisfactory, shallow answers.
I’ll give some examples shortly, but first I’d like to say that It’s never too late to think about freedom, and Passover is likely the best time to elevate our consciousness to reflect about this topic.
While the topic of freedom is obviously relevant to the big items we see on the news, mainly the freedom that the people of Iran so deserve, as well as that of the Cubans, both of whom have been living under tyranny for decades, I’m going to talk about another type of freedom.
Charlie Kirk famously started observing the Shabbat in his way, and the one thing he gave up was technology, social media etc. What we call a digital fast. Charlie was a busy man. An extremely hard working man. He had a goal, or goals, and he relentlessly worked to achieve them, through determination, dedication and absolute commitment. His vision was clear and focused, and he served as a beacon for others, which is what made him and TPUSA so effective.
Through conversations with a Rabbi and studies he did (a lot via the Prager-U exhaustive library), he learned about the importance of Shabbat. The need of us humans to leave the important materialistic work we do throughout the week, and focus on the soul. That was his Passover, which he commemorated once a week. Liberating his soul from the earthly labor, and focusing on his personal relationship with God.
That was a positive example of a person who understands the concept of freedom, and applying that principle in his own private life, reportedly to great effect.
Candace Owens got a few big opportunities, and used them to gain massive popularity. First, she was hired by TPUSA, then given a chance by Dennis Prager and most famously, hired by The Daily Wire where she really flourished.
Following her much publicized breakup with The Daily Wire, Candace went fully independent and started her current podcast, which gained many followers.
Tucker Carlson’s career started in print, and moved to TV, starting at CNN, moving to PBS, MSNBC and likely most famously at Fox. After being released from Fox, Tucker turned independent and is hosting his show on social media.
Both stories seem to demonstrate liberation and freedom.
Candace, apparently got her freedom from The Daily Wire’s employ under the pretense of not being able to speak her mind, and having to toe the company line.
Tucker, was apparently let go from Fox due to what his employer deemed inappropriate expression.
I’m not even going to go any deeper on the actual exits and the reasons for them, as it’s not the focus on our discussion. Instead, I’d like to question whether these are indeed stories about freedom.
But before we go back to these two, let’s talk about the Israelites who followed Moses into the desert.
The story of Passover starts with a Pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph, who enslaved the Israelites and with time, got crueler and more vicious, ordering to kill every Hebrew male baby.
The Israelites experienced total slavery. Their time wasn’t their own, their decision making was made for them, their very existence.
Then, Moses and Aharon were sent by God to release them from this slavery and as we know, via miracles and wonders, they escaped, crossed the red sea and were saved from the pursuing Egyptian army.
Were they free? Did they achieve a status we can refer to as “Freedom”?
The simple answer is no. They were indeed freed from their enslavement to Egypt. But that was all that happened up to that point. Now, we have many people wandering in the desert, aimless, complaining, bickering at Moses, the one who liberated them.
They had to get to Mount Sinai, and receive the Torah in order to become Free people.
One cannot be free, just because he was freed from something. He needs to be Free for something. The Israelites were freed from slavery only to be wandering about in the desert, which as Dr. Jordan Peterson wisely pointed out, is a representation of being without an aim, a purpose. But when they received the word of God, they gained freedom, real freedom.
The freedom to be masters of their time. The first thing they take charge of is setting the dates and times (holidays) via the announcement of the new month. They can make informed decisions, based on a clear moral code that transcends their limited understanding. And they gain the end of the threat of death.
I won’t go far deeper than that, but the Israelites gained true freedom only at Mount Sinai. Only when they were aligned with the creator who made them in his image. This hints at independence, creativity and other characteristics we associate with the creator.
Tucker and Candace are not free people. They were “liberated” from their perceived “oppressors” but they are only free in so much as they are freed from something. They did not get to Mount Sinai yet. They are still wandering around in the desert, moaning, whining and bickering at Moses.
In fact, if we look at this a bit deeper, they might very well still be enslaved to the Pharoah. Pharoah has many names. Ego is one. Victimhood is another. There are many more. Pharoah is anything that stands in one’s way to connect with his creator.
So yes, I do consider Candace’s behavior as vile and evil. I do think that the ideas that Tucker and her spread are literally stupid ideas. But they are doing that, not because they are stupid people. In fact, I believe neither is a stupid person. They are doing what they do because they did not gain true freedom.
And what about us? Are we free?
Well, if people like Tucker and Candace represent people without true freedom, surely people like you and me represent the opposite.
I hate to say it, but no… we are also not yet there.
Charlie, may God rest his soul, was on his way and so is anyone who aims up, trying to get closer to the creator. Those of us who want freedom, and are willing to walk in the desert, even when it seems like there’s no end to our journey, and trust that Moses knows where he is going, are getting closer.
Passover is a great time to recommit ourselves to the idea of true freedom. Most Jews are using this holiday, and the need to keep the house Kosher to do a spring cleaning. It became a tradition, even though it’s not a commandment. But by doing that, we ensure that we’re fully aligned with the direction that God set out for us.
As we do on a materialistic level, and even more important than clearing the house from Hametz (unkosher for Passover), it’s important to do a similar spring clean in our souls. Whether it is observing the Shabbat, or as simple as trying to keep our thoughts cleaner, every step we take closer to God is a step closer to Mount Sinai and closer to actual freedom.