Freedom has been something that for many generations gave man a purpose to live, that even at times of difficulty and challenge, the dream of better times and freedom, kept the human spirit alive.However, I have a simple question: What is freedom?I think that if this question would be asked to people, the answer given would be, "The ability to do what I want."After such a reply, I would ask: "What if an individual is addicted to something, for instance to smoking. He wakes up in the morning, and wants a cigarette. As he is driving down to the Indian reservation to get his pack, he remembers that the doctor told him that his lungs cannot take any more smoke. After struggling with himself all the way to the store he cannot control himself, and purchases a pack of cigarettes. So my question is , do you consider this man free? Can we consider a person, being controlled by something he knows is self-destructive, free?"What if he is unaware of the fact that something is controlling him, and in his mind he can do what ever he wishes, is he free?The Rabbis teach us that the only person who is free, is the person who studies Torah. On the surface, this is a difficult statement to understand. How can studying and practicing the words of Torah, make us free? What freedom does Torah offer when we feel it is so limiting, and so many things are prohibited?A Jewish person walks by a non-Kosher restaurant, and is in the mood of a steak. It is not the essence of the person who wants it, because your soul has absolutely no desire for the non-Kosher steak, rather it is your physical being, and if the person gives in to temptation, and eats the steak, he is enslaved to a foreign force, and not free at all.The person who studies and practices the laws of the Torah, who knows what he should do, and what to avoid, and when a challenge arises, can overcome temptation to benefit his soul, is truly free. He is free to do what his essence wants - to follow the laws given to us by the Al-mighty.With this in mind we can understand why immediately following the first day of Passover, we start counting the days to Shavuot, the day of the reception of Torah. By counting, we connect these days and show that freedom is accomplished through Torah.
