The Meaning of Liberty

 B’Har

Lev. 25:1 - 26:2

Précis: The parasha begins with a description of the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee (Yovel) Year. In the 50^th (Jubilee) Year, we are to “proclaim liberty throughout the land” and property is restored to its ancestral owners. The parasha continues with the prohibition against unlimited slavery, as well as the rules for the treatment of those who are slaves.

  

Lev. 25:10 “And you will hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land, to all the inhabitants thereof; it will be a jubilee to you, and you will return every man to his possession, and you will return every man to his family.”

 

            What is “liberty?” This seems to be a question of increasing controversy in the United States these days. Some posit it means “freedom to” (women’s choice, voting rights, and many others). Some believe that liberty is “freedom from” (taxes, masks, vaccinations, gun control, or government action in general).

            We are reminded in this week’s reading that Jewish tradition in effect is the “freedom to” follow the moral guidance from God as expressed through the Torah and interpreted through the ages. We are to acknowledge that every human being has value, that we are not the owners of the material world, but merely the stewards of it for future generations, and that “freedom to” also must imply that there are also certain mandates of  “freedom from” we must honor: freedom from interference with our inherent rights, freedom from fear, and freedom from totalitarianism.

            In this verse, we are also reminded that Jewish values support the notion that the accumulation of wealth is not limitless. We have seen in recent years how individuals of immense wealth can be influences for good, or can undermine trust in our institutions. We need to recall the key to liberty: it cannot endure when equality is absent.

Holy Assemblies

 Emor

Lev. 21:1 - 24:23

 

Précis: This parasha is divided into four sections. First, it reviews procedures for the Priests to use to remain ritually pure. Second, it outlines the festival and holiday calendar. Third, it explains the use of the oil and the bread on display on the altar. Finally, there is a brief narrative about a blasphemer who is condemned to death.

 

Lev. 23:4 “These are Adonai’s appointed times, holy assemblies that you shall proclaim at their appointed time.”

            This verse begins a restatement of the calendar of Jewish holidays, one of several times the listing appears in the text. Since this is Leviticus, it may be inferred that this statement is intended to remind the Levites and Priests of their obligations as they relate to festivals.

            While we no longer have “holy assemblies” overseen by the Priests, there are echoes today (including many congregations which recite the Priestly Blessing on festivals).

            My brief point of emphasis this week is a bit different. For the past several years, our ability to participate in person at “holy assemblies” in our congregations has been limited by Covid. Time itself can be holy, and in a sense, our recent history has had a particular form of holiness: we have striven to find ways to remain connected, to be part of “holy assemblies.” As we move ahead, it’s my prayer and hope that we will soon return to the meaningful times we spend together in person, as we celebrate our unity and relish the holiness of time as expressed by Shabbat.