“You shall sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land for all of its inhabitants; it shall be the Jubilee year for you…” (Leviticus 25:10).
This verse contains the stirring phrase that was engraved on Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell in 1752.
The passage is referring to the liberation of Hebrew slaves – so why does it speak about freedom for the entire land and all its inhabitants?
The truth is that in a society where some people are enslaved, the entire society isn’t really free. Being a master over others is itself a form of bondage. It is only upon freeing its slaves when the society itself is liberated. (Based upon the Pnei Yehoshua)
By Rabbi Michael Skobac
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