Writings from Rabbi Glickman

Lately I’ve been wondering whether the Forth of July is the best day for our nation to celebrate it’s independence.  Oh, July  4^th, 1776 was an important day in history, of course – that was when the members of the Continental Congress proclaimed our independence from Great Britain, and paved the way for our Constitution and the many freedoms it guarantees us. 

And so, with grand parades, with lavish picnics, and with ahh-inspiring fireworks we celebrated that freedom yesterday.  We appreciate our liberty, and as a grateful nation we celebrated it as on of the greatest gifts America has given us.

But now, with the parades over, the Tupperware safely back in the cupboard,  and the smoke from the fireworks cleared, it is also important for us to remember something else – freedom has value only if we do something good with it.

Indeed,  the freedoms for which our nation was founded have come to yield some very silly results – blue-haired, body-pierced adolescents saying, “Hey, man, it’s a free country;” the inane ranting of many politicians and talk show hosts, the oft-shouted schoolyard decree, “You are not the boss of me!”

But these very same freedoms have also allowed our nation to be inspired by prophetic and courageous visionaries, to have fostered the creation of magnificent art and literature, to have played a crucial role in making our nation as great as it is.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the United States could figure out a way to embrace these freedoms without encouraging the silliness that they can engender?  If we could get a Martin Luther King without having to put up with a Don King?  If purple could be for our mountain majesties, and not for our hair?  If freedom of religion could allow us to be challenged by time-tested moral insights rather than by TV preachers proclaiming the sanctity of sending them money?

In Judaism, there are actually two festivals that celebrate freedom, both of which occur during the Spring.  The first is Passover (Pesach, in Hebrew), the celebration of the ancient Israelite exodus from Egypt.  The other, Shavuot, comes seven weeks later, and celebrates God’s gift of Torah to the Jewish people.  Passover is often called “The Festival of Freedom,” but Shavuot celebrates freedom, too.  Having secured freedom from slavery, you see, was just the first step.  It was only when the Israelites received the laws of Torah – all 613 of them – that we became free to do what we needed with our lives.

To be of any value whatsoever, freedom demands a sense of meaning and purpose.  Otherwise, we are likely to become lost, purple-haired wanderers through the desert, repeatedly droning, “You are not the boss of me,” to a world that may agree but has no reason to care.

Passover begins with a festive meal called a seder, and as a rabbi in a mid-sized American city, I find myself invited by Jews and non-Jews alike to seders of all different kinds – to feminist seders, vegetarian seders, peace seders, gay and lesbian seders, seders for Christians and Jews, Blacks and Jews, Buddhists and Jews, and many more.

But I’ve never been invited to a Shavuot celebration.

Clearly, this reflects one of the greatest challenges facing our nation today.  Many Americans are “into” Passover because we’re into freedom.  We love stories of liberation, of the triumph of liberty over oppression, of tyrants overthrown and of the emancipation of their victims.

But then what?  Then, for those liberated, comes the more mundane and far less cinematic work of doing something worthwhile with this newfound liberty.  Then comes doing what we must to ensure that the great sacrifices people have made for freedom were not made in vain. Then comes commitment, a sense of shared responsibility, and, usually, a lot of hard work.  And, sadly, we Americans aren’t into responsibility, mission, and work nearly as much as we should be.

For Jews, the celebration of our liberty only began at the Red Sea.  It didn’t reach it’s culmination, however, until we received our marching orders at Sinai. And in this spirit, perhaps the true greatness of the United States was established not on July 4^th, but later, in the decisions that determined the uses to which we would devote our independence.  Perhaps today, the Fifth of July, would be a more appropriate day to celebrate the blessings of freedom that America has given us.

So, happy Fifth of July, everyone!  May the echoes of yesterday’s celebration continue to ring forth, and may we render the freedom of our great nation a true blessing for all.

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