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Wondering: About Freedom

I stopped writing the Wonderings for awhile for a few reasons, but I really appreciated the opportunity to hear what congregants think about specific topics, so I will try to pose more wonderings again. I have so many questions I would like to discuss with you that I could pose them every day, but will try to keep them to about once a week still. I would also like to hear which topics you would like me to "wonder about." 

Recently I was asked to consider what Judaism teaches about Freedom, since we are celebrating the United States Independence Day - and one of the things that our independence signifies is freedom. The question was posed for the Red River Radio "About Faith" program. The answers will air 1pm this Sunday. 

I realized that there are a few ways of thinking about freedom in Jewish tradition. There is the obvious one: we were slaves, and then we were free. To me that represents a freedom from oppression. There have been many times in Jewish history when we have been oppressed. We have the example of being freed from slavery to continue to give us hope when things are bad for us. I believe that the daily reminders (in prayers) in Jewish tradition that we were slaves also reminds us to treat other people with dignity.

The other kind of freedom in my opinion is the freedom to make choices. We are in covenant with G-d, which means that we have many Mitzvot - which are not just "good deeds" they are "commandments." I realized that each time we have an opportunity to do a Mitzvah, we have a choice. I feel that we currently have the freedom to make those choices - unlike during the periods of history when we were oppressed.  

There are many things we can discuss about freedom today, but I will start with the wondering:

This week I am wondering: What do you think is the way Judaism understands "freedom?" How free do you feel? What are the benefits of being free? What are the obligations or consequences of being free?

May your Independence Day weekend be safe and enjoyable. May you find freedom in your own life. May our country be a source and protector of freedom. 


CLICK HERE to go to the Wonderings main page to see all Wonderings questions and replies.


Once again, I want to thank everyone who has responded to my  "Wonderings."  You are always welcome to respond to any of the questions I have asked by calling or emailing, no matter how long ago the question was originally posed. You can also choose to keep your replies totally private, and not be posted on the Responses page. I always try to remove personal / identifying details when I do post the replies. 

You may want to check back to see if more replies have been added since you last looked.

 

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784