The Rabbi’s Message: From Bondage to Freedom

We continue our cooperation with the Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz Institute and publish material prepared specifically for the member communities of the EAJC.

During the Passover Seder (the festive meal and central event of the Passover holiday), which is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Exodus from Egypt across all generations, we perform numerous rituals and symbolic ceremonies that reveal various aspects of the Exodus.

Yet, despite the richness and diversity of the Passover Seder's components, one central theme dominates: "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt—now we are free." The concept of freedom is expressed in the Passover Haggadah through various customs, ceremonies, symbols, song lyrics, and the overall atmosphere of the Seder. Participants recline in comfortable positions, as is the custom of free individuals; they drink four cups of wine to emphasize the prosperity, abundance, choice, and tranquility inherent in freedom; and they repeat this core idea in various phrasing and versions throughout the Haggadah: we are free people.

Slavery vs. Labor

At first glance, nothing seems simpler than understanding slavery. A slave works by the sweat of his brow under supervisors who ensure he completes his daily quota. A slave's earnings are meager, while his efforts are immense... But is this truly the essence of slavery? In our world, nearly every free person must also work tirelessly to earn a living. The whip of the struggle for survival constantly hangs over the backs of working people. Historically, the majority have labored by the sweat of their brow, only to bring home the bare minimum required for survival. The ratio of work to leisure varies by location, profession, and industry, but ultimately, the lives of both free individuals and enslaved laborers consist of the same alternation of work and rest. The essence of slavery, therefore, lies not in its outward appearance but in its internal substance; grueling labor does not define slavery, nor is a free life defined by comfort and abundance.

The defining characteristic of slavery is that the slave labors exclusively for another. The purpose of the work is not set by the person performing it; it disregards his desires and aspirations, as the goals and objectives are determined by someone else... For this reason, it matters not whether a slave works with clay, bricks, or in a field; he could just as well sit in an air-conditioned room writing literary essays and remain a slave.

Thus, slavery begins when a person labors for others, and they determine his goals and dictate his lifestyle. However, servitude can penetrate deeper, affecting not only the external conditions of a slave's life but extending into his very soul.

As long as a nation or an individual retains their own desires and understands that they are compelled to perform the work of others, and as long as they suffer from this subjugation, they have not yet turned entirely into a slave. However, once a slave forgets that he is enslaved and identifies with his labor, it signifies that slavery has penetrated his soul and he has lost himself as an independent individual...

One who lacks independent will—whether because harsh labor has hollowed out and broken his spirit, or because he has not developed into an independent personality—is fundamentally incapable of being free. Such a person, having lost touch with his own essence, cannot become free even if the yoke of slavery is removed; he simply becomes unclaimed property—a slave without a master.

We have no record of the arguments Jewish people in Egypt used to justify their labor, but today one need not look far to find Jewish individuals who behave in the exact same manner. Slavery and life among other nations have become an ideal in their eyes. For such an individual, the norm is to exist as a slave to other nations and their values. He strives to execute their orders and participate in their labor and endeavors. He does not even complain about the abuse and suffering inflicted by non-Jews. For some, exile, suffering, performing the work of others, and living someone else's life have become markers of Jewish identity. When a slave cannot break free from servitude because it has ceased to be a source of shame, burden, and pain—when he claims it is a pleasant state in which he should remain indefinitely—then temporary slavery transitions into eternal bondage...

The reason Moses and Aaron present to Pharaoh when requesting permission for the Hebrews to leave Egypt is the necessity to hold a "feast to the L-rd" in the wilderness. At first glance, this appears to be a mere pretext—the Hebrews wish to leave Egypt and devise an explanation that Pharaoh would find plausible. In reality, however, this element plays a central role in the Exodus, representing the essence of transitioning from slavery toward redemption.

The transition from exile to redemption is not instantaneous. Between the abolition of servitude and the attainment of freedom, there must be a stage of development. To ensure that those leaving Egypt do not remain runaway slaves but transform into truly free individuals, they must cultivate an independent identity.

As Pharaoh himself clearly understood, the desire to leave in order to serve the Almighty is a sign of weakening bonds of servitude, for genuine slaves possess no faith and no gods they truly serve. Furthermore, a slave's primary duty is to serve his master and perform his master's work. The moment a slave discovers there is One who stands above his masters, and that his duty to Him outweighs all other obligations, he is liberated from internal slavery.

Seeking to suppress the nation's revival, Pharaoh attempts to break its spirit through exhausting and pointless labor. He strives to bring the people to a state where they can no longer dream, leaving them with no desires beyond the most primitive physical needs and comforts.

Herein lies the importance of leaving Egypt with a specific goal: "to hold a feast to the L-rd in the wilderness." When there is an independently defined goal, and life is no longer merely an imitation of others and a continuation of slavish dependence, the process of redemption begins.

Thus, liberation consists of establishing a connection with one's own inner essence, rather than merely refusing externally imposed work. The meaning of liberation lies in adopting one's own system of values, priorities, and goals; anyone who lacks self-identity and has no G-d of his own will remain a slave forever, even without a master standing behind him. The supervisor's whip may be broken, but the brand of the slave remains in the soul.

In this sense, the Egyptian servitude did not end with the first Exodus. The people of Israel, residing in diaspora across various parts of the world and even in their own Land, can revert to that same state of slavery. As long as the Jewish people remained faithful to their inner spiritual essence, their intellectual principles, institutions, and way of life, they were not enslaved. In exile, Jews could be persecuted and humiliated, and they felt weak and vulnerable in many areas of life; yet, as long as they maintained their own will and their spiritual world served as a surrogate homeland, the exile remained incomplete. It became absolute with the onset of assimilation, when a Jew ceased to be himself. Such a Jew, even upon leaving exile and returning to his land, carries exile (Galut) within him. He continues to be a slave to the external world—its patterns of thought, cognition, and principles of faith. While this world can no longer control his body, it continues to govern his soul. This is how many Jews live today: they labor, build cities and structures, develop culture, initiate revolutionary changes, and contribute to science and literature—all for the Pharaoh present in every generation... As expressed in Shir HaShirim: "They made me keeper of the vineyards, but mine own vineyard have I not kept" (Song of Songs, 1:6).

This was aptly formulated by one of the Hasidic sages: it is easier to take the Jews out of exile than to take the exile out of the Jews. A purely external departure from exile may have many significant and important consequences, but in itself, it is not even the "beginning of redemption." Various attempts to liberate the Jewish people by ending external exile do not lead to true redemption. This is neither redemption nor liberation; it is merely the relocation of slaves to another place. They move from one location to another only to build another house of bondage on different soil. Genuine redemption begins when one not only casts off the yoke of Egyptian rule but also rejects the "internal Egypt" within one's soul.

To achieve redemptive liberation, rather than just the absence of exile, the Jewish people must reconnect with their essence, reclaiming their own spirit, character, thought processes, and way of life—only then can they truly be a nation of free people.

Therefore, great significance is attached to the declaration in the Passover Seder: we were slaves, and now we are free. This must be repeated in the Haggadah and through rituals, deepening the realization that it is not enough to leave slavery behind; one must become oneself—a truly free person.