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.   

Abraham Skorka                                                                                                                             Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

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Article published in L'Osservatore Romano on April 4, 2025