Anonymous for COLlive.com
There is lots of talk about the burden of slavery, but not much talk about the rest of the story. I come from slaves, as did my father before me and his father before him. This they have given me and this I have learned on my way. And since it is not mine, I give it to you, for you, and for your children after you.
1) You will never get over slavery. Ever.
Just as a pickle can never become a cucumber, so you will never erase your history of slavery. It is your emotional, spiritual DNA forevermore. It makes you the man that you are. When the unknowing admonish you to “get over it” know that you never will. Or can. Or should.
2) Freedom is a process, not a state.
Leaving the land of bondage does not make you free, it merely renders you a slave out of his element. You can take the boy out of slavery but you can’t take the slavery out of the boy – without a lot of hard work. Namely…
3) You need to become your own master.
Call it discipline. Without it, you will keep looking over your shoulder for the master’s whip: a slave looking to get away with things rather than a man of destiny. Nature abhors vacuum, the absence of a master to control demands replacement with another, be it the next tyrant, bully, addiction or habit. Govern yourself so others cannot limit you. Think not “I’m free so no one can tell me what to do”,
think instead, “I’m free so I must tell me what to do.” It is a journey, not a destination.
4) You will never forget you came from slavery. Accept that.
Similar to Point 1, but with a nuanced difference. You might pass for a cucumber, and will feel enticed to do so. It will afford you temporary relief and long-term anguish.
5) Remember constantly that you were slaves.
Memory is different than not-forgetting, it is proactive and willful. Memory is the most powerful thing a man possesses. It informs him of his limits and his opportunities and reminds him of his foibles and his opportunities lost. It engenders greatness if he wills it and without it he will fail. My family speaks of slavery daily and celebrates it yearly.
6) Be kind to those still enslaved.
Oddly, it keeps the journey invigorated.
7) The burden of freedom will ensnare the recently liberated.
This one is tricky, you might need to read it twice. For a moment, suspend the memory of whip and auction block. Ponder instead the aspect of slavery rarely spoken, known only to those who have lived it. The slave makes no choice (the master does). Choice infers responsibility. Responsibility is a burden – and burden-free living is enticing and addictive like most things that feel good but are harmful. Odd as it may sound, a man’s structure partially compels him to the comfort (of slavery) of not being responsible for his own life, his choices. In other words, choice and its consequence is a burden so part of us instinctively rejects Point 3 – the capacity to live with our choice. The burden of freedom becomes tenable only when contrasted with the repugnance of slavery. Therefore…
8) Celebrate your slavery.
It is because of slavery that you will succeed: those who have never tasted the vile gag of bondage cannot savor the sweet palate of liberty.
9) Beware the rabble-rouser.
The rabble-rouser will entice you to the allure of freedom without burden. He promises trinkets that you need not earn by the sweat of the brow. If you follow the money, you will see that he seeks to take a cut. See the Book of Numbers.
10) Beware the rabble-rouser-within.
Recognize that there is a part of you that prefers burden-free life over a life of liberty, even though that renders you effectively inconsequential, as per Point 7, but recognize its an overwhelmingly powerful voice in your head. It warrants more attention than anything else in your life. See Exodus. And Deuteronomy.
11) Self-Indulgence is slavery by another name.
It will kill you a thousand deaths if it doesn’t strike you down dead first. Self-control is the unsung fount of liberty. It will deliver you step by step from the default of taking life (and everything included) for granted and deliver you to the exalted heights of accepting with gratitude.
12) Lastly, man can enchain you but only you can choose to be a slave.
This isn’t about slavery. It’s about oppression today this just seems a bit condescending.
absolutely brilliant
The entire Jewish nation comes from slaves and we don’t live like this.
And then think: does this describe me as a Jew?
This is how we’re supposed to live! Lessons from Chassidus.
It depends how you look at life. You can either discipline yourself to love to clean for pesach or per humanity hate it – choice is yours!
Excellent! The only one I would add is accepting God as your true and only master. It is truly liberating, gives direction in life, and complements and enhances each of the steps you’ve mentioned.
Again, very well done! Congrats @h h
Are you really trying to tell a community how they should frame their own (much more recent!) experience of systemic oppression by calling them slaves (sorry, “ex-slaves”), and THEN telling them that they’re not handling their response to bondage as well as you did?
Come on.
The Rebbe’s stance was that we are one community. All we need to do is listen and be empathetic. It’s not that hard.
So clearly and well expressed. Freedom without self control is slavery.
Our freedom from slavery in Egypt was realized when we accepted the Torah laws of do’s and don’ts at Sinai.
Instead of preaching try connecting. Please talk to people in recent “slave” mentality and see if these resonate. Armchair philosophy is not productive.
You need Moshe to break free. Without Moshe the Yidden would be a memory of history.
And horrible comparison! There’s virtually no commonality between Jewish slaves in Egypt and American slaves – except for the name! Our fellow ex-slaves might ask about the manna from heaven, the clouds of glory that sheltered us, the might of G-d on our side until we settled in a land that we had the opportunity to work…just for starters! Please dont preach. When you finish screaming about the unfairness of Jewish playgrounds being closed (if you’re one of the screamers), then go on to raise your voice about black teens pummeled and arrested for jaywalking! or spending years in prison… Read more »
there are innocent people in jail from all walks of life and backgrounds
as a general rule, no one, including blacks, get even a glance from a cop when they jaywalk
and just by the way, many many many blacks are not even descended from Americans of any color, as they have come more recently from the Carribean or Africa itself