To us Americans, the symbol of freedom is that of the Liberty Bell. In Philadelphia, inscribed on the bell are the words from this weeks Torah portion, Behar, in Leviticus: Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants thereof.
Throughout Leviticus, the dimension of holiness in our lives is discussed. Be it holiness permeating our foods or our relationships, it is all there. Then comes the conclusion of the book. Ironically, in the portion titled Behar, literally, on the mountain, the Torah geographically descends and actually brings us down to the earthly dimension of living holy in the land of Israel.
We are taught about the Sabbatical year, when the earth lies fallow, returning to its original, unmediated state; and about the seven cycles of sabbaticals, followed by the fiftieth year, the Jubilee.
At the time of the Jubilee, slaves go free, properties return to their original owners, debts are cancelled. Balance is restored. The Torah advocates for social justice, for everyone to be back on equal socioeconomic footing, for freedom of opportunity to reign for all.
The interesting thing is that the word in Hebrew for freedom is chofesh. It is used in the context of the freeing of the Hebrew slave. Yet, here in Behar, when the Torah speaks of the ultimate freedom, the ideal of a free and balanced society brought by the Jubilee year,the Torah uses a different word: dror.
Dror is a bird, specifically a sparrow. Unlike the American image for freedom as a bell, the Torahs symbol for freedom is a bird, a dror, unbound, moving, flying high, spreading its wings. Taking flight.
The Torah uses dror only one other time. In Exodus,when Moses is instructed by G-d about the incense, he is told to take the myrrh, and it is described as dror.
Nachmanides explains that dror in this context means clear of anything counterfeit, in other words, pure. The word is used in its verb form,describing the requirement to use pure myrrh and to obtain it by pure means. Only pure myrrh is to be burned as incense in the service of G-d.
In the Talmud, Rabbi Yehuda etymologically links the Hebrew root letters of dror with the Hebrew word dar, for dwelling.In other words, according to Rabbi Yehuda, the ultimate freedom, the freedom represented by the Jubilee year, is about having a place to dwell, a place to call home about being rooted. And like a bird that is free to choose to take flight, so is a home of ones choosing. This, the Torah teaches, is true freedom.
When we think of a bird, we think of a little nest, a place to call home that a bird can choose to build just about anywhere.
Nesting where you want to be, emotionally, psychologically and yes, geographically,this is freedom.
A birds nest is often a home without a roof. The connection heavenward is natural it becomes the roof over the home. So when we think ofdror as an expression for home, as well as an expression of purity and then both synthesized into freedom we understand home to mean not just the freedom of any home, but a fresh, unblemished home, built through pure means and intentions.
This is the freedom of Behar. The freedom of the Jubilee.
As life unfolds and scars are carried,paths are lost, debts accrue and homes have perhaps been destroyed . . . as life takes its toll, Jubilee arrives and says: Now is the time to renew and repair, to realign. Now is an opportunity to start over and begin anew.
Not by the tolling of the bell, but by the flapping of our wings.
Copyright © 2012 by the Intermountain Jewish News
