Chofshi.

Transcription

1 Chofshi

2 Chofshi For most Western democracies, the concept of freedom is central. One just needs to look at the anthems that inspire its citizenry to capture this point. From America s Star Spangled Banner, The land of the free and the home of the brave! to the France s, Liberty, beloved Liberty, Fight with your defenders! and of course, Israel s anthem, To be a Free People In Our Land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem. But what does this elusive idea Freedom mean? Does freedom just mean the opposite of enslaved? Or does it have to do with having certain responsibilities? While the poet Naftali Herz Imber composed Hatikvah, he used one Hebrew word for freedom: Chofesh. As the Chief Rabbi of England, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes, Chofesh means freedom as personal independence [this] is the biblical word for negative freedom that is what a person receives when he or she is released from slavery. (Sacks in The Chief Rabbi s Haggadah, 2003, p69, ) But there is another term for freedom in the bible, positive freedom or, cherut. As Sacks continues, Freedom means more than losing your chains. It involves developing the capacity to think, feel and act for the benefit of others. (p. 72). If negative freedom is freedom from something, then positive freedom is freedom toward something else. In this unit we will explore the ways in which we understand freedom in an expansive way, on personal and national levels.

3 2 Issue One: The Nature of Freedom Text 1: Personal freedom: Free Will Born in Spain, Rambam (also known as Maimonides), the medieval Jewish physician/philosopher/theologia n lived most of his life in Cairo Egypt. Rambam is best known for his Jewish legal writings, and his philosophical works that sought to integrate Aristotelian philosophy with Jewish theology. Free will is granted to all men. If one desires to turn himself to the path of good and be righteous, the choice is his. Should he desire to turn to the path of evil and be wicked, the choice is his. This is [the intent of] the Torah's statement (Genesis 3:22): "Behold, man has become unique as ourselves, knowing good and evil," i.e., the human species became singular in the world with no other species resembling it in the following quality: that man can, on his own initiative, with his knowledge and thought, know good and evil, and do what he desires. There is no one who can prevent him from doing good or bad. רשות כל אדם נתונה לו: אם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך טובה ולהיות צדיק, הרשות בידו; ואם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך רעה ולהיות רשע, הרשות בידו. הוא שכתוב בתורה "הן האדם היה כאחד ממנו, לדעת, טוב ורע" (בראשית ג, כב) כלומר הן מין זה של אדם היה אחד בעולם, ואין לו מין שני דומה לו בזה העניין, שיהא הוא מעצמו בדעתו ובמחשבתו יודע הטוב והרע ועושה כל מה שהוא חפץ, ואין לו מי שיעכב על ידו מלעשות הטוב או הרע Maimonides Laws of Repentance 5:1 What does freedom mean for Maimonides? Are there other elements to freedom not mentioned by Maimonides?

4 3 3 Text 2: Societal Freedom: Free Society A former refusenik, prisoner of conscience in Soviet Russia, Natan Sharanksy immigrated to Israel in 1986 where he is a noted politician, human rights activist and author. Can someone within that society walk into the town square and say what they want without fear of being punished for his or her views? If so, then that society is a free society. If not, it is a fear society. Natan Sharansky, 2004 In practical terms, what is the difference between a fear society and a free society? Using Maimonides as a lens to understand Sharansky s point, can one still be free even if they live in a fear society? Have you experienced the difference between a fear society and a free society? 4 4

5 4 Text 3: The Illusion of Freedom We are strange beings, we seem to go free, but we go in chains - chains of training, custom, convention, association, environment - in a word, Circumstance - and against these bonds the strongest of us struggle in vain Mark Twain, Three Thousand Years Among The Microbes What does Twain mean when he writes, we seem to go free? Do you agree that the appearance of freedom is not necessarily freedom? Overarching Questions: What aspects of freedom most interest you? Free will? Ensuring political freedoms for others? Because Jews have recent experience of living in the Soviet Union (a fear society according to Sharansky) do we have certain obligations to ensure that the society we build is a free one? What would that mean, practically?

6 5 Issue Two: Freedom as a People Text 1:The Jewish Narrative of Freedom This text from the Mishnah, a recording of oral Jewish legal traditions dating compiled between 200 and 400 CE, explains one of the central themes of Passover, to see oneself as having left Egypt along with the Israelites of old. In every generation, one is obligated to see himself as if he left Egypt, as it is said (Exodus 13), And you will tell your son on that day, saying, Because of this that God did for me when I left Egypt. Therefore we are obliged to thank, praise, glorify, extol, exalt, beatify, bless, etc., etc. to the One who did all these miracles for our ancestors and for us: Who brought us out from slavery to freedom, from sadness to joy, from mourning to festivity, from darkness to great light, from servitude to redemption. And we say before Him, Hallelujah. Mishnah Pesachim 10:5 [Soncino translation] The text praises God for giving the Jewish people freedom. Who do you thank for the freedoms you enjoy? Who would you thank for the freedom that the Jewish people enjoy in almost every country around the world? Do you see yourself in this text? 6

7 6 Text 2: Torah as Freedom This text from Pirkei Avot, ethical teaching found in the Mishnah, plays off the Hebrew word for carved (harut) and the Hebrew word for freedom (heirut). Through this word play, this text draws a link between the words of Torah carved into the two tablets and a notion of freedom. ואומר: "והלחת מעשה אלהים המה והמכתב מכתב אלהים הוא חרות על הלחת." אל תקרא "חרות" אלא "חירות", שאין לך בן חורין אלא מי שעוסק בתלמוד תורה. Pirkei Avot 6:2 [Soncino translation] Furthermore, it is written, "And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets (Exodus 32:16). Do not read harut (graven) but rather heirut (freedom), for no person is free except one who engages in the study of Torah. What do you think the nature of the freedom described in this text is? Do you think freedom can be achieved through study or does there need to be another element? Are there actions you are engaged in that make you free? 7

8 7 Text 3: Our Exodus from Egypt Exodus From Egypt, Etti Ankri A popular Israel singer, Etti Ankri has been called the poet of Israel spirituality, a title only enhanced by her growing religious identity. לצאת ביציאת מצריים לבוא אל המדבר אולי נמצא שם מים בדרך אל ההר שיפתחו לשניים המים המלוחים ונעבור באמצע כל אלה שבוכים והם עולים עלינו צבא של פרשים קשה מאוד למשה אין אמונה בלב האנשים מגע החוף מרגיע הים את פיו פוער אולי נחזור מצרימה הפחד לא זוכר בנינו פירמידות פתרנו חלומות כלום לא היה שלנו רק מלח ודמעות וזה הכאב של יעקב על יוסף הקטן זרוע בתוכנו שנאת אחים חינם To go out in the Exodus from Egypt To come to the desert Maybe we'll find water there On the way to the mountain They split into two The salty waters We crossed through the middle, All those who cried The came upon us The army of horsemen It was hard for Moses That there was no faith in the hearts of the people. The touch of the coast came, The mouth of the water opened wide Maybe we'll return to Egypt The fear isn't remembered We built pyramids, We interpreted dreams, We had nothing, Only salt and tears. This is the pain of Jacob about little Joseph Sowed among us, The senseless hatred of brothers

9 8 "These lyrics were written and sung by Etti Ankri, an Israeli rock singer, who has recently taken a spiritual turn. The song, entitled Yetziat Mitzrayim, Exodus from Egypt blends together the ancient past with the present, as it begins by retelling the experience of the Exodus and ends by wondering whether we ever really left. Following the movement of the song, there is hope emanating from past redemption, which transitions to despair about current exile, and then ends with the prayer of a new redemption." ולפעמים נדמה לי שאנחנו שם עדיין הולכים בדרך אל ההר מתחננים למים שיפתחו לשניים המיים המלוחים ונעבור באמצע כל אלה שהולכים And sometimes it seems to me that we are still there [in Egypt] Walking towards the mountain begging for water That it will split in to The salty water And we will past through it All those who are walking Dr. Jeannie Rosenfeld holds a PhD in English from the CUNY Graduate Center. As an Israeli living in the free country of Israel, how does Etti Ankri use the freedom narrative of the Exodus from Egypt to reflect ways in which Israelis are not yet truly free? Ankri seems to say that in many ways we are still enslaved in a metaphoric Egypt, what do you think she means by this? Does this statement resonate with you?

10 9 Issue Three: The Responsibility of Freedom Text 1: Liberty and Responsibility A psychiatrist and Holocaust survior, Frankl pioneered a therapy called Logotherapy which focuses on how we create and find meaning in our lives. Freedom is not the last word, freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. The positive aspect of freedom is responsibleness I recommend that the Statue of Liberty be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the west coast. Viktor E Frankl Together with the freedom you enjoy, what responsibilities do you have toward others in your community? What responsibilities does the government of the USA have? Do you feel it is fulfilling its responsibilities? What responsibilities does the government of Israel have? Do you feel it is fulfilling these responsibilities? ( Consider for example each country s reaction to the earthquake in Haiti.) Are the responsibilities of the Jewish State the same as any other State? 11 11

11 10 10 Text 2: Fulfillment through Freedom Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was a noted 20 th Century theologian famous for his inspiring writing, friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his involvement with the American Civil Rights movement. Freedom means more than mere emancipation. It is primarily freedom of conscience, bound up with inner allegiance. The danger begins when freedom is thought to consist of the fact that I can act as I desire. This definition reveals the tragic truth that freedom may develop within itself the seed of its own destruction. The will is not an ultimate and isolated entity, but determined by motives beyond its own control. To be what one wants to be is also not freedom, since the wishes of the ego are largely determined by external factors Freedom presupposes the capacity for sacrifice. Man s true fulfillment cannot be reached by the isolated individual, and his true good depends on communion with, and participation in, that which transcends him The glory of a free society lies not only in the consciousness of my right to be free, and my capacity to be free, but also in the realization of my fellow man s right to be free, and his capacity to be free. The issue we face is how to save man s belief in his capacity to be free. Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Insecurity of Freedom What is the relationship between the individual and the community in Heschel's vision of freedom? How does Heschel define a free society? How do you understand Freedom presupposes the capacity for sacrifice. Do you feel that your freedom is somehow contingent on the freedom of those in your community?

12 11 11 Text 3: Globalized Freedom Globalization, writes Zygmunt Bauman, divides as much as it unites...what appears as globalization for some means localization for others; signaling a new freedom for some, upon many others it descends as an uninvited and cruel fate (Bauman 1998: 2). There can be no doubt that some of the economic surplus of the advanced economies of the world should be invested in developing countries to help eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure universal education, combat treatable disease, reduce infant mortality, improve work conditions, and reconstruct failing economies. As with tzedakah, the aim should be to restore dignity and independence to nations as well as individuals. Whether this is done in the name of compassion, social justice, or human solidarity it has now become a compelling imperative. The globalization of communications, trade, and culture globalizes human responsibility likewise. The freedom of the few must not be purchased at the price of the enslavement of the many to poverty, ignorance, and disease. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Global Covenant: A Jewish Perspective On Globalization How does Sacks vision of freedom differ from Heschel's? How does globalization effect our responsibility to ensuring other's freedom(s)? Do you agree with Sacks? Overarching questions: What do you think it means to be a free people? How should Israel embody the idea/ideals of a free people. Are there any uniquely Jewish ways to be free? Do Jews have any unique obligations to ensuring freedom of others?