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April 23, 2019

What Exactly Is the Freedom Celebrated on Passover?

Freedom to enter into the covenant.

The Hebrew word for “freedom,” ḥerut, appears prominently in the Passover liturgy and in the Haggadah, but nowhere in the Bible. Nor do equivalent biblical Hebrew terms occur anywhere in the Bible’s telling of the Exodus story. To resolve this paradox, Yehoshua Pfeffer argues that the Torah does not view the purpose of redemption from Egyptian bondage to be liberation, but rather the actualization of the covenant between God and Israel:

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April 23, 2019

  1. Drafting the Ultra-Orthodox: The Debate Returns

    The vacation-service proposal.

  2. Arab Journalists Encourage Palestinians to Take the Best Offer They Can Get

    Frank talk about peace with Israel.

  3. Honoring Israel-Hatred at New York University

    Hiding behind insincere claims about free speech.

  4. The Chinese City Founded by Russian Jews

    And the disturbing efforts to preserve Harbin’s “Jewish heritage.”

  5. What Exactly Is the Freedom Celebrated on Passover?

    Freedom to enter into the covenant.