What Is Real Freedom? - מהי חירות?

It’s important we discuss the legal concepts about freedom: the freedom to choose, body and soul freedom, the freedom to say what one thinks and the freedom to have assets.

What is real freedom?

Part 1: association circle- what is freedom.

It’s important we discuss the legal concepts about freedom: the freedom to choose, body and soul freedom, the freedom to say what one thinks and the freedom to have assets.

Shortly to explain the limits of freedom.

Part 2: True or False

Every student will get a sign. One side will say “true”, the other “false”, and will say their opinion about the following sentences:

1)     True freedom is the ability to disconnect from the chains of brain, logic and reason, and do what you really want.

2)     True freedom is the ability to control our urges

3)     True freedom is life in a society where you can find a job without selling your conscience, without giving up on your ability to think independently, without being a liar.

4)      True freedom is the ability to know everything and get all the answers

5)     True freedom is given only to people that believe in their freedom. A person, who believes he is free, is really free. You don’t need proof for that.

6)     True freedom is given only to people who believe in dreams and acting to fulfill them. These people can’t be stopped by outside reasons.

7)      True freedom means the ability to rebel: to rebel against the consensus and personal and environmental limits.

8)     True freedom is the ability to move from one place to another, to change society, to travel around the world - not to take responsibility, and be free and happy.

9)     True freedom is an illusion. You can never be truly free, people will always be limited

Part 3: characters

the class will split into 3 groups; each one will have to get and present her character and answer a few questions:

1)     Do you think that this character is really free?

2)     Why does the character think she’s free?

3)     What do you think is real freedom? 

The characters:

1. Hello, my name is Rona and I’m a free person.

The most important thing in my life is my job.

I’m a programmer in an Hi Tech Company and I love my job.

I work every day from 7 to 1 am.

I also work on Fridays and Sundays, so I won’t be late in my project.

Saturday is a free day that is dedicated to family.

Most of them, we spend at the sea.

I’m so lucky that we have laptops, that ways I can continue working while my husband and kids play.

It’s so great to be a free person.

2. Hello, my name is Dan and I’m a free person.

I really like drinking - and not coca cola.

I like to start my day with 2 cups of brandy,

At dinner I drink a few bottles of beer,

Afterwards I go out with friends and drink as much as possible.

Of course, I chose the right profession:

I work as a barman and enjoying every minute.

It’s so great to be a free man.

3. Hello, my name is Shira and I’m a free person.

The most important thing for me is to look good and be fashionable.

I wear only designer clothing and I will never wear things from last season.

I have to buy all the fashion magazines, so I will know what’s going on.

I have to buy everything that is “in” now:

Sunglasses, shoes, jewelry and all the rest.

It’s so great to be a free person.

4. HI! I’m Zack and I am the freest man in the entire world. do you know why? Because I do exactly what I want to do. If I want to sleep until 12:00 a.m. I just do. And if I want to watch 10 movies a day then I do. I am the one to choose what I’m doing. No one cares about what I do, and I don’t care about what anyone else has to say.

I’m the master of my life.

5. Hello my name is Sam and I’m in jail for the last ten years because of a crime that I never committed. So what am I doing for the whole day? I’m thinking, reading books planing things and the most important thing is that I have my believes and no one can take them from me.

6. Shalom Aleychem, my name is Aharon and I live in Mea-Shearim neighborhood in Yerushalaim. in case you don’t know it’s a very religious neighborhood. I live life of Torah- I wake up in the morning going to my Yeshiva learning Torah for the whole day davening three times a day and doing all the things that a religious person does. Those are my life and I like it this way.

7. Hi. I’m Jeff, and I’ve got everything a man could possibly dream of. I could get anything I want with my money, and no one will tell me “no”. I live in an amazing house- the biggest you can imagine. It has an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, and the latest equipment from every kind. I even have around my house a tall brick wall with armed guards that wouldn’t let anyone in. I am the freest!          

Part 4: summarize freedom

- Rabbi kook: the difference between a slave and a free person isn’t only the status. We can find a very educated slave that his spirit is free and vice versa   a free man that got the spirit of a slave.

The basic freedom is the highest spirit

The point is that real freedom is to be connected to your inner self- to listen to yourself, not to be afraid to think, say and act the way you believe.

It’s important to see the difference between being free legally than being free mentally.

We also have to learn to be free materialistically.