The Symbol of Liberty

If you had to choose a symbol for freedom what would it be? What item can travel through the generations, reach every country, touch every heart and awaken the feeling of freedom? What can bring the beacon of freedom to the poor Jew living the dark ages as well as to the wealthy Jew living in Muslim Spain?

The Torah makes an odd choice: Matzah, the bread of poverty.

Matzah holds the secret to freedom. The essence of freedom is independence. A slave is a dependent being, both physically and psychologically, while the free man rules his own spirit, defines himself the way he chooses to, refuses to allow external influences to define himself self.

Wealth imposes external definitions that distract from the essence of the human being. It's very difficult to be a millionaire and not define yourself as one. The pauper, on the other hand, does not have the option of defining himself by external things. He has no material possessions, no beautiful home, no option to depend on external substances for self worth. He must look deep inside himself and figure out what his real essence is.

On the festival of freedom we drink four cups of wine, recline, display our finest gold and silver, we do all this, and more, to try to experience the blessings of freedom and abundance. Yet we must keep our eyes on the bread of poverty, we must understand that to be free we must look not to possessions but to our true essence. Only then does our wealth serve us not the other way around.

Understand this and you've got the gift of freedom, freedom that you can never loose, freedom that no one can take away from you.

(Gevuros Hashem)