Statue of Responsibility - Pesach

"The Festival of our Liberty" is one of the nicknames of Pesach1 and points to the fact that our ancestors were freed from the Egyptian slavery on this date. We celebrate that we are no longer under the control of another nation and are free to do as we wish.

We celebrate liberty as do nations around the world. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and the Statue ofLiberty in New York, as well as Independence Park in Jerusalem, are testaments to the importance of the concept of being independent and feeling free of foreign rule. The sense of pride and well-being that accompanies freedom is powerful.

Is liberty enough, however? Is it sufficient just to be free? Can we be happy if our whole goal is simply to experience liberty?

The Sfas Emmes describes Pesach and Shavuot, the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, as being connected, as if they were one long holiday even though there are many weeks between them.2 Pesach represents the freedom from negative influences. The period between Pesach and Shavuot is to be used for growth to become ready for receiving the Torah on Shavuot. Shavuot then becomes associated with acceptance of responsibility. Without a period of growth, we could not receive the Torah. Liberty is not enough. We need to grow from the place of liberty to be able to receive responsibility.

This point was underscored by Viktor Frankl as well. He describes the importance of liberty, yet it always needs to be accompanied by responsibility. The placement of the Statue of Liberty in New York, he added, should be complemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.3

In therapy with clients, the first stage is alleviating the pain and suffering. The second stage4, however, the client works on what direction to take in life. All of the energy that was expended in the suffering is now free….and now it is waiting to be utilized towards something positive and meaningful and if not utilized as such, it goes back to its old and well-known habits.

Pesach then becomes a holiday of opportunity. With freedom we have the opportunity to choose. With choice comes responsibility - responsibility to our selves, responsibility to others and responsibility to the community.

It is not an easy challenge to fulfill that responsibility. Nor is it easy to always be consistently loyal to that responsibility. There are pressures, sometimes even positive pressures, which challenge us to make hard decisions because of values which at a certain moment may conflict - for instance, taking care of something for your aging parents or for a sick child. What is the more important choice for right now? There are no simple answers either. Every situation is different and what may be appropriate for your friend may not be appropriate for you. Even what was appropriate for you yesterday may not be as appropriate today.

Let us celebrate that liberty. Enjoy the festival of our liberty to the fullest. And know, that this an exciting time for now is the time and the opportunity for growth into responsibility.

  1. Siddur - Prayer for Festivals
  2. Sfas Emes - Vayikra: Emor 5642
  3. Frankl, Viktor. The Will to Meaning. p. 49
  4. These stages can be parallel and are not necessarily consecutive.

This article is dedicated to my daughter, Menucha, on the occasion of her marriage to Adir.

Have A Great Shabbat!laughing

For More Information On Logotherapy And How You Can Create A Fuller, More Meaningful Life, Or To Book An Online Session,

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