Parshas בא highlights the next stage in גאולת מצרים, with the last three of the ten מכות happening, and with פרעה finally sending כלל ישראל out of מצרים. After משה רבינו warns פרעה about the impending מכת ארבה, the פסוק says that Paraoh’s עבדים implored him to let כלל ישראל leave.
ויאמרו עבדי פרעה אליו
Rav Yosef Ber Soliveichik points out that the term עבדי פרעה was never used for כלל ישראל, only for the gentiles in the service of פרעה. Although we, כלל ישראל, were עבדים TO פרעה, we were never עבדי פרעה. This is hinted to in the הגדה where it says,
עבדים היינו ל-פרעה במצרים
The difference in the wording is intentional. The gentiles in Paraoh’s service were completely subjugated to him, in both body and spirit. Hence, they’re called עבדי פרעה. But כלל ישראל, while enslaved physically to פרעה, were nontheless free in spirit and were only עבדים ל-פרעה. We were, and still remain, עבדי ה, slaves to Him alone. And while enslavement to פרעה is bitter, being an עבד השם means actually being free. It means that we subjagate ourselves to our Creator, and through that, live a happy and fulfilling life.
This concept is true for all times. A Yid understands that while engaging in wordly matters is necessary, it nontheless is never a means in and of itself. All wordly matters are there to help us serve Hashem and fullfill our unique תפקיד in life. As such, we remember to never become slaves to עולם הזה and all that it has to offer. And when living like that, we remain עבדי השם, and not עבדי פרעה.
That type of עבדות, is the real חירות, as highlighted in the famous poem of רבי יהודה הלוי
עבדי זמן עבדי עבדים הם, עבד השם הוא לבד חפשי
Those who live life chasing the pleasures of this world are in reality slaves to their תאוות, as they lack the ability to say no to themselves. But an עבד השם is in control of his desires and has the ability to say no when necessary. And that ability is what true freedom means.
We’ll conclude with a story that highlights this point. A year ago, Agam Berger, a 20 year old captured Israeli soldier was released from Hamas captivity. On the helicopter ride from the border checkpoint to the hospital, she wrote the following words:
בדרך אמונה בחרתי ובדרך אמונה שבתי
“I chose the pathway of אמונה, and through that, I returned.” As this young Jewish heroine later retold, in captivity, she chose to keep Shabbos and to eat Kosher. When told by her terrorist captors to cook for them on Shabbos, she refused. And when offered non-kosher meat, she also refused to partake of it. All of which was done at great peril to her life. It is even more astonishing when factoring in that she was not raised observant. Nontheless as a Jew in captivity, she connected with her inner core, and that gave her the אמונה and strength to act as a proud Jew, proving that a Yiddishe נשמה, even under the most horrific physical condition, is always free.
עבד השם הוא לבד חפשי!
Weekly Parsha Shiur 