42 April 25 • 2019
jn
H
ave you ever thought about
the common use of the
word freedom? America is
a free country; Capitalism is
all about the free market; we
were freed from Egypt.
What is the true
definition of freedom?
Is it the ability to follow
the whim of your natural
instincts and impulses or
is there something deeper?
Perhaps we can glean a
sense of what it means to be
truly free from the varying
names of our holiday of
freedom, Passover.
This holiday is known
by three differing Hebrew
names. The name used in
the written Torah is Chag
HaMatzos — the holiday
of matzahs. The Anshei
Knesses Hagdolah (The Men of the
Great Assembly) who introduced
and incorporated the nussach
(version) of the siddur (prayer
book) introduced the name Zman
Chairuteinu — the time of our
freedom. The name commonly used
throughout Jewish history is Pesach
— Passover.
Do these names correlate with
each other? If so, how do they
encapsulate the quintessence of this
special holiday?
True freedom is the experience
we feel when we can live up to our
full capacity and potential. The
discipline it takes for one to live
by the morals and standards with
which God has tasked him or her is
the greatest liberating experience.
One who lives by the whim of his
or her desires and impulses is not
liberated but enslaved to his natural
inclinations and does not have the
capacity to truly be free.
The Torah and its lessons are the
guidepost for every Jewish
person to learn what he
can attain and accomplish
throughout life. However, it is
only possible to live up to this
ideal by way of delving and
dedicating ourselves to the
study and direction given to us
in the Torah.
Herein lies the correlation
of the varying names for
Passover:
• The holiday of matzahs —
Matzah represents humility
and modesty. The fact that
the dough is not allowed to
rise resembles the concept
of submission. The first step
in the process of freedom is
the acceptance of a greater
sense of morality other than one’
s
own emotions and feelings. By
consuming matzah, we are internally
submitting ourselves to the will of
God.
• The time of our freedom —
This gives us the opportunity to
truly experience a sense of freedom
whereby we are not enslaved by
restrictions or constraints imposed
upon us from within or without.
• Passover — With such an
approach in mind, we are freed
from any sort of stumbling blocks
or challenges that can throw us off
course. Because we are connected to
God and His will, His strength that
is flowing through us enables us to
overpower and pass over anything
that shows up along the path. ■
Rabbi Mendel Polter is a rabbi at the
Woodward Avenue Shul.
What Is Freedom?
Rabbi
Mendel Polter
Parshat
Pesach 8:
Deuteronomy
14:22-16:17;
Numbers
28:19-25;
Isaiah 10:32-
12:6.
spirit
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE
Spot
l
i
ght
Ev
ent
Chairs – Diane and Randy Orley
AN EVENING WITH LIZA LONG,
MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE
AND AUTHOR
The Price of Silence
Long
A Mom’
s Perspective
on Mental Illness
The Price
of Silence
Liza Long
Foreword by
Harold S. Koplewicz, MD
A Mom’
s Perspective
on Mental Illness
“A courageous, determined, radical book.”
—ANDREW SOLOMON, PhD, author of
The Noonday Demon and Far from the Tree
PLUME
”
6:30 PM REGISTRATION | 7 PM PROGRAM
CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK
WEDNESDAY
MAY 29
2019
Admission $36/ 2 for $60/ Students $10
After the 2012 Newtown school
shooting, Liza wondered if her
son, who has bipolar disorder,
was capable of committing a
similar act in her blog post,
“I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother.”
Don’t miss Long’s moving
story of helping her son and
fighting stigma.
To register or sponsor, visit jfsspotlightevent.org
SHINING A LIGHT ON MENTAL HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY
Book signing to follow the event with books available for purchase.
One social work CEU available.