„The difference between the slave and the free person is not merely a…”
„The difference between the slave and the free person is not merely a difference of status, that in this instance one is subjugated to another and this one is not subjugated. We can find an enlightened slave whose spirit is full of freedom, and conversely, a free person whose spirit is the spirit of a slave.”From Olat Re'iyah, Part II
Being a slave or a free person is a matter of the soul. Many are the Hasidic tales that tell of destitute paupers rejoicing in their lot alongside immensely wealthy but wretched rich men. In truth, not only Hasidic tales are full of this, but reality as well. A free person is one who decides to be so and lives according to their faith, one who does not chase after fashions of any kind — in the secular world and in the religious world. One may add and say that a person who wishes to emerge from their servitude must make a decision that they are making a change — not merely longing for change, but actually creating it. This is the way, both for the individual and for a nation.
***
.
.
.
From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.