Freedom—Chofesh or Cherut?

June 4, 2008

by: Cheryl Hauer, International. Development Director

The dictionary defines freedom as ”the power to act, speak, or think without externally imposed restraints; immunity from obligation.” Liberty is defined as “autonomy, freedom of choice, personal freedom from servitude.” Our modern Western concept of “being free” has narrowed to remove any sense of communal responsibility but instead to encourage self-determination as an expression of the individual will. Christianity has been profoundly influenced by this preoccupation with individualism, with the unfortunate result being 38,000 Christian denominations worldwide! Even to many in the Church, freedom is all about the ability to jump in the car and go where one pleases, when one pleases; it’s about vacations and breaks from school. It conjures up visions of sail boats and convertibles, the wind in our hair and sun on our faces. Freedom has come to represent the individual’s right to determine his or her own destiny with little or no regard for the corresponding destinies of those around them.

A Jewish View

Judaism, however, presents a very different view. Rabbi Yaakov Sinclair, in his essay “The True Meaning of Freedom,” says that the archetype of freedom for all mankind is the Exodus from Egypt. The Hebrew word for Egypt, by the way, is mitzrayim, which means “constriction.” Just as Egypt represented the ultimate constriction for God’s chosen people, their escape represented ultimate freedom. That freedom, however, was inextricably linked with responsibility. Rabbi Sinclair points out that freedom, when discussed in the Torah (Gen.−Deut.), is always connected to a clear idea of ultimate purpose. Freedom without purpose, the rabbi says, is slavery.

In Hebrew, there are two words for these concepts: chofesh and cherut. The difference is quite simply the freedom to do what you like versus the freedom to do what you should. Chofesh is the freedom a slave acquires when he no longer has a master and no one is there to tell him what to do. He is now a free spirit, liberated from bondage and accountable to no one. In rabbinic usage, the phrase chofshi min ha-mitsvot refers to someone not obliged or willing to observe the commandments of the Torah. Chofesh connotes freedom from external restraints.

Cherut, on the other hand, is the freedom the Israelites acquired at Mount Sinai in the form of a covenant. In the Siddur (prayer book), Passover is called z’man cheruteynu, “the time of our freedom.” Further, God is praised for taking the Jewish people mi’avdut le’cherut, “from slavery to freedom.” The Passover Haggadah (order of service for the Passover meal) expresses the wish that the Jewish people will become b’nei-chorin, “free men.” God’s message to Pharaoh was clearly one of cherut: “Let My people go that they might worship Me” (Exod. 9:1). However, He did not desire that His people simply transfer their slavish obedience from Pharaoh to Him. Service to God would be much different than service to the Egyptian king. Deliverance from slavery in Egypt meant the opportunity to choose to be in covenant with the God of the Universe. Cherut would allow the Israelites to freely bind themselves to God and to His commandments. Here, they would find Rabbi Sinclair’s freedom with a purpose.

Looking Deeper

The Talmud (rabbinic commentary on Jewish tradition and the Hebrew Scriptures) asks the question: What happens when men have “too much freedom”? The question is answered through the story of Noah, who, the rabbis say, invented the plow. For the first time, people did not have to work so hard to produce their food, and in their inability to use their new-found freedom productively, they became corrupt and depraved. Many would say that we are again living in days such as those of Noah, filled with immorality and wickedness. It is perhaps no accident that many today are focused on the pursuit of chofesh, while the concept of cherut fades from view. As people of faith, may we become a beacon of real freedom, freely bound to God and His commandments, glorifying Him through our joyful, willing obedience.