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Rabbi David A. Israel

Freedom

and Holiness

n 1967, immediately after the Six- Like Pesach, Yom HaAtzmaut is a day with their produce, the leaders and
Day War, the Israeli government on which we celebrate our physical the kohanim would greet them. The
Iordered the army to prepare the freedom and independence. The cel- carriers of the fruit would declare:
newly liberated Kotel to be open to ebration of Yom Yerushalayim weeks “Our feet were standing in your gates,
the public. Within a few days, the after Yom HaAtzmaut emphasizes O Jerusalem.” The kohanim would
Kotel plaza was created. After 19 that Jewish independence is just the respond: “Our brethren, the inhabi-
years, on Shavuot, the Jewish people first step – ּונ ֵ צ ְ ר ַ א ְּ ב י ׁ ִ ש ְ פ ָ ח ם ַ ע תֹוי ְ ה ִ ל, “To tants of so-and-so, you have come in
once again were able to approach the be a free people in our land” is not peace.”
Kotel and pray. And today, as anyone enough! “Eretz Tzion, Yerushalayim”
who has spent Shavuot in Jerusalem – without the heart of Eretz Yisrael, After a short recap of the history of
knows, there is a well-known custom Jerusalem, the body is empty. The the Jewish people starting with the
after the all-night Tikun Leil Shavuot holiness of our Land emanates from events leading to slavery in Egypt and
to make one’s way to the Kotel for Jerusalem. ending with living in the bountiful
Shacharit at sunrise. It is a phenom- land as told in the pesukim “Arami
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and larger crowds as they draw nearer “” “To be a free people by declaring that G-d has brought
enal experience to see people coming Oved Avi,” the farmer concludes
from every direction, forming larger
us into a Land flowing with milk
to the Kotel. in our land” is and honey and therefore, he brings
not enough!
this gift of the first fruits at the Beit
What is the deeper connection HaMikdash.
between Yom Yerushalayim and Mikdash, the spiritual pinnacle, is
Shavuot? not possible without Jerusalem. And Thus, the process from slavery to true
freedom is celebrated through this
indeed, it is a cornerstone Shavuot
Chag Shavuot is connected to Pesach mitzvah performed in the Beit series of holidays, ultimately includ-
by the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer. HaMikdash that allows us to look ing a summary of the process itself:
The simple meaning of this mitzvah back on the process of going down to from slavery to freedom, from free-
is to connect the physical element of Egypt, becoming free, coming into dom to holiness, from holiness to full
freedom with the spiritual meaning the Land of Israel, coming to Jerusa- fulfillment of G-d’s mitzvot.
of freedom – receiving the Torah. lem and entering the Mikdash. This
With G-d’s Torah comes true free- retrospective brings all the four holi-
dom. Perhaps in our recent history, days into focus. 1 Mishnah Bikkurim, Talmud Yerushalmi
Chapter 3.
the connection between Pesach and 2 Devarim 26:5.
Shavuot is not just linear but is a pro- A name for Shavuot, and one of its
cess punctuated by holidays empha- central mitzvot, is the bringing of the
sizing this same journey from physi- bikkurim, the first fruits. The Mish-
cal to spiritual freedom: Pesach, Yom nah and the Talmud Yerushalmi Rabbi David A. Israel is the Executive
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HaAtzmaut, Yom Yerushalayim, and describe how as farmers would enter Vice-President of Religious Zionists of
Shavuot. the holy city of Jerusalem on Shavuot America–Mizrachi

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