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Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski

Shavuot

A Closure to Pesach

any sefarim refer to Shavuot drug-addicted buddies and relapse, so can also be read as “cherut al haLu-
as being a closure to Pesach. I prevailed on him to remain in Pitts- chot” which means “freedom on the
MFollowing the liberation burgh for an extended period of time. tablets.” Inspired by this, I wrote a
from the long bondage in Egypt, the commentary on the Haggadah, “From
Israelites were instructed to count As it drew closer to Pesach, he asked Bondage to Freedom.” The Haggadah
49 days of Sefirat HaOmer, during permission to return to New York to can thus be a guide to true personal
which they were to refine their attend his father’s Seder. When he freedom.
character traits to enable them to returned to Pittsburgh after Pesach,
receive the Torah. Indeed, when G-d he related that when his father began A human being is a physical body
commissioned Moshe to liberate the reciting the Haggadah, “Avadim and has many inborn traits, some of
Israelites from enslavement, He said, hayinu leParo beMitzrayim” – We which can be very pressing. Without
“When you take the nation out of were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, he Torah, man is what science refers to
Egypt, you shall worship G-d on this interrupted him, saying, “Abba, can as homo sapiens, a simian (baboon)
very mountain.” you say that you yourself were ever a with many bodily drives. A baboon
slave? Your ancestors were slaves to does not have free choice and must
Many of the mitzvot we do are des- Pharaoh, but you personally were not do as its body demands. The Torah
ignated as a memorial to the Exodus a slave. I can tell you what it means provides cherut, freedom of choice,
from Egypt. Every Friday night in to be a slave. All those years I was which may frustrate the body’s
the kiddush, we say that Shabbat addicted to drugs, I was a slave. I had demands. Hence freedom from a des-
commemorates the Exodus. All the no freedom. I had to do whatever the potic taskmaster does not assure man
festivals relate to the Exodus, as do drugs demanded. I did things I never true freedom.
the daily Tzitzit and Tefillin, Pidyon thought I was capable of doing, but
HaBen, and Birkat HaMazon. I had I had no choice. Drugs were a cruel A person may be subject to animal-
often wondered why there was a con- taskmaster, but today I am free.” istic greed, anger, and many other
stant need to remember the Exodus. bodily drives. These can be every
It is more than an Independence Day. When he related this to me, it became bit as tyrannical as a cruel despot.
The latter is celebrated by a parade, clear why we must constantly refer to Adopting the teachings of the Torah
fireworks, picnics and patriotic the Exodus. Just as one can be a slave gives man true freedom. Pesach lib-
erated the Israelites from enslave-
speeches. Whoever heard of a sev- to a despotic ruler like Pharaoh, one
en-day independence celebration, for can be a slave to alcohol or drugs, to ment to Pharaoh and Shavuot liber-
ated them from the tyranny of their
which one must clean the house thor- gambling, food, sex, shopping, spend- animal body.
oughly, virtually sterilize the kitchen, ing, hoarding, texting or anything
avoid chametz and eat matzah for a else. When a person loses one’s free- Shavuot and Pesach are inextricably
whole week? dom to choose, one is a slave. bound together.

The answer came from a patient of Referring to the Ten Commandments,
mine newly recovered from a long the Torah says they were, “chorut al Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski is a
history of drug addiction. I could not haLuchot” – inscribed on the tab- psychiatrist and rabbi, and founder of
allow him to return to New York, lets. Inasmuch as there are no vowel the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in
because he was certain to contact his markings in the Torah, this phrase Pennsylvania

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