Pesach: A Symbol of Freedom - Rabbi Dr. David Gottlieb

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Hidabroot - Torah & Judaism’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

[Music] Today I I'd like to talk a little bit about the idea of freedom. Since uh Pesach is called the holiday of freedom. Um just to hint at where some complexity lies, there are several words in Hebrew for freedom. And the word that's used for Pesach is specifically herut. Uh not hofesh. Which as we'll see is a different concept altogether. Even if people agree that freedom is very important. Um it would be interesting to discover what kind of importance freedom has. In particular, when we talk about things being valuable we distinguish between intrinsically valuable and extrinsically valuable. That means some things are valuable for themselves. And other things are means to things of value, but it's only because they're connected to other things that they're valuable. If they weren't connected, they wouldn't be valuable. That's called extrinsic. For example, $100 bills. There's very little you can do that you can do with that rectangular piece of paper other than buy things with it. Otherwise, it's really pretty useless. You can do put them up on your bulletin board and contemplate them. Right? So, dollars for most people have extrinsic value. They're good as a tool to get other things that you value. Intrinsic value? Now, I should just make a remark I'm talking now not philosophically or logically but psychologically. How do people value things? What do they want them for? Normal people want $100 bills because they can get other things with it. Pleasure? Sometimes, not always. Not for all people always, but sometimes a person wants a pleasure for itself, not for any other consequence. Why are you eating a candy bar? Cuz I enjoy it. Why are you eating something that you enjoy? Don't ask stupid questions.

Jump to a moment

1. 0:01[Music] Today I I'd like to talk a little bit about the idea of freedom. Since…
2. 3:37So, there are two different categories of value. Intrinsic where you valuable value the thing for…
3. 7:14you pay a quarter? No, I would not pay a quarter. Cuz I don't want to…
4. 10:49So, his last 10 minutes will be more pleasurable than otherwise. Then I think people will…
5. 14:54And as they're asking you for this donation, a child falls off his bicycle, skins his…
6. 18:30Now, you may say, "So what?" The answer is that in practical terms it makes no…
7. 22:06some chapter from the book of Exodus and talk about and say that. Why would you…
8. 26:15that freedom is really only a means, has only has the the value of a means…
9. 29:51effect. In all civilized countries, when you want to go someplace and there are roads, highways,…
10. 33:26give you the possibility and therefore the freedom to have certain types of relationships. If you…

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