I recently listened to a "drasha" given by a highly acclaimed lawyer, a descendent of Cham with a shiny bald head, whose life's work is, among other noble [and unfailingly liberal] causes, getting young criminals out of jail. He was cheered by the crowd as a super-hero.
I was thinking. Young people [and older people for that matter], deserve a second chance. But what about the possible future of these ex-cons?? What about the people they will kill, the women they will rape, their future victims of thievery?? Are they going to sit and learn two hours a day mussar to insure that they don't repeat their crimes? What is this champion of human rights doing to make sure that they become upright, contributing citizens and prevent recidivism??
AHHHHHHHHHHH!
We were freed from Egypt. Freedom, as the Baalei Mussar and Machshava point out, is DANGEROUS. So Moshe said to Paroh in the name of Hashem, not just שלח את עמי but שלח את עמי ויעבדוני. Not just "Freedom from" but "Freedom to" serve Hashem and fix His world. בְּהוֹצִֽיאֲךָ֤ אֶת־הָעָם֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם תַּֽעַבְדוּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָהָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה. Freedom is not inherently a value unless it is used for the right purposes.
THAT is our Simcha on Shavuos. We know what to do with our freedom.
