Passover, Easter and Thoughts on Freedom

Passover and Thoughts on Freedom
By Matt Cohen

Tonight, my family gathered to celebrate the Passover Sedar. The sedar commemorates the liberation of the Jews from enslavement by the Pharoh, the parting of the Red Sea and the passage from bondage to freedom, from poverty to the land of milk and honey, from oppression to self-determination. It celebrates the transformation from slavery to freedom, from sorry to joy, from darkness to great light, from bondage to redemption. By leaving the front door open for the Prophet Elijah to join the celebration, it also conveys a message of inclusion, that any one is welcome. That the family, the community, embrace everyone.

We promote inclusion and equality, but most of our wealth is concentrated in the top few percent of the population. Many worry about the national debt and complain about taxes and government programs to assist the poor, those with disabilities, or immigrants from foreign countries. These same critics ignore the underlying values embodied in our Constitution of liberty, justice and equality for all, unless it is their own liberty, freedom or economic position that is threatened.

At a personal level, It happens that this is a time of many transitions for me, for my family, for our society, for the world. We celebrate freedom, but we must not take it for granted. We have many things that are difficult, many changes that are challenging, painful, or worse. Pain and opportunity, instability and possiblity, suffering and adaptation, and the potential to preserve much that is good, learn from mistakes and cope with the pain, while growing and building....many things that hold the potential for more freedom, at the same time that many things constrain our desires and abilities to do what we wish or to have some of what we have cherished in the past.

Whether at a societal level or a personal level, freedom defines the nature of our existence. But many take freedom for granted. Freedom is not permission to be selfish, or a pass to focus on one’s own needs to the detriment of the community. Freedom is not having permission to just do what is best for oneself without regard to the needs of others or the impact of our actions. Freedom carries with it responsibility – to oneself, to one’s family and loved ones, to one’s immediate community, and to the society and world at large. Freedom gives us the right to make choices, but the obligation to make choices responsibly, with awareness of the consequences for others as well as our selves.

Freedom is not free…..it is the most expensive thing there is. We must defend it fiercely, not only for ourselves but for those less powerful, those without a voice, without a house, without a vote, without a choice. Freedom does not mean ignoring others’ needs, rights, desires, but rather acting in a way that balances our own rights and needs with those of those around us.

We have the freedom to disagree, but we must do so in a way that is respectful of the right of the other person to their own opinion. We must respect majority rule, but we must be mindful of the tyranny of the majority, the corruption of power that is too concentrated, the danger that demonizing those who disagree risks stifling an open society, community, or even open communication in a family.
We are free to have children, but we have the responsibility to care for them. We are free to have relationships and marry, but we must be conscious of the needs, rights and autonomy of our partners. Freedom is not a blank check that entitles us to what we want, without regard to others. Freedom is a fine balance between oppression and anarchy, between selfishness and selflessness, between isolation and sacrificing oneself to the community. Freedom is an individual right that is protected by collective commitment. Collective freedom is protected by individual commitment.
The path to the promised land carries with it hard work, compromise, sacrifice and commitment not only to one’s own needs but to the needs of others, not only to one’s own family, but to the family of humanity. The land of milk and honey is not a utopia filled with luxury, but a place where seeds must be planted, flowers watered, weeds pulled, and the fruits of our labor harvested together. The possibility of freedom, real freedom that is not transitory or at the expense of others, necessitates an awareness that freedom is also a form of obligation. We open the door for Elijah as a message that we prepare the meal not only for ourselves but for all that are hungry. We may have to work harder and give up some of own desires at the moment to have enough food to keep the door open for those with less. This seeming sacrifice of our freedom actually helps to preserve opportunity, equality and freedom for all of us. At this moment, freedom may be a burden, even a sacrifice,, but it is also a form of insurance, an investment in the family, community, society and good of humanity, that gives us many things that would not be possible if we only acted for ourselves.

Let us walk together from oppression to freedom, arm and arm, tasting the fruits of our labor and sharing the sweat of our effort. Let us embrace the noble responsibility of freedom, not just the transient pleasure of actions we take in the name of our own freedom and self-fulfillment without regard for others or for the consequences of our actions. Let us walk to the promised land, the land that was promised for all of us, not just some of us. Happy Pesach, Happy Easter. Let these holidays be a celebration of our collective freedom and our commitment to protecting this freedom for all.