One of the fundamental themes which we are obligated to discuss at the Pesach Seder is our progression from slavery to freedom. As the Rambam writes:

משנה תורה - ספר זמנים - הלכות חמץ ומצה - פרק ז:ד

[ד] וְצָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל בִּגְנוּת, וּלְסַיַּם בִּשְׁבָח.  כֵּיצַד:  מַתְחִיל וּמְסַפֵּר שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה הָיוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּימֵי תֶּרַח וּמִלְּפָנָיו, כּוֹפְרִים וְטוֹעִין אַחֲרֵי הַהֶבֶל וְרוֹדְפִין עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה; וּמְסַיֵּם בְּדַת הָאֱמֶת, שֶׁקֵּרְבָנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָהּ, וְהִבְדִּילָנוּ מִן הַתּוֹעִים, וְקֵרְבָנוּ לְיֵחוּדוֹ.  וְכֵן מַתְחִיל וּמוֹדִיעַ שֶׁעֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְכָל הָרָעָה שֶׁגְּמָלוּנוּ; וּמְסַיֵּם בְּנִסִּים וְנִפְלָאוֹת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לָנוּ, וּבְחֵרוּתֵנוּ.  וְהוּא שֶׁיִּדְרֹשׁ מֵ"אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי" (דברים כו,ה), עַד שֶׁיִּגְמֹר כָּל הַפָּרָשָׁה; וְכָל הַמּוֹסִיף וּמַאֲרִיךְ בִּדְרַשׁ פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח.

Rambam - Laws of Chametz and Matzah - Chapter 7:4

One must begin [the narrative describing our ancestors'] base [roots] and conclude with [their] praise. What does this imply? One begins relating how originally, in the age of Terach, our ancestors denied [God's existence] and strayed after vanity, pursuing idol worship. One concludes with the true faith: how the Omnipresent has drawn us close to Him, separated us from the gentiles, and drawn us near to His Oneness.

Similarly, one begins by stating that we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and [describing] all the evil done to us, and concludes with the miracles and wonders that were wrought upon us, and our freedom. This [implies] that one should extrapolate [the passage beginning] from [Deuteronomy 26:5]: "An Aramean sought to destroy my ancestor..." until one concludes the entire passage. Whoever adds and extends his extrapolation of this passage is praiseworthy.

The relationship between Torah and freedom is discussed in Pirkei Avot:

משנה אבות ו:ב

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב וּמַכְרֶזֶת וְאוֹמֶרֶת, אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה נִקְרָא נָזוּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי יא) נֶזֶם זָהָב בְּאַף חֲזִיר אִשָּׁה יָפָה וְסָרַת טָעַם. וְאוֹמֵר (שמות לב) וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת, אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְעַלֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כא) וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת.

Avot 6:2

Rabbi Yehoshua ben [son of] Levi said, on every day a heavenly voice emanates from Mount Horeb, announcing: 'Woe to them, the people, because of the affront to the Torah.' For anyone who does not study is called 'rebuked,' as the verse says 'As a golden ring in a swine's snout, so too is a beautiful woman who has turned from sound reason' (Proverbs 11:22). It also says, 'And the tablets were the handiwork of God, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets' (Exodus 32:16). Do not read 'charoos' ('engraved'), rather 'chairoos' ('free'). For you will not find a freer person than one who is involved in Torah study. For all those who study Torah are uplifted, as it states, 'From Matanah [the Israelites traveled to] Nachaliel, and from Nachaliel to Bamos' (Numbers 21:19). (Davidson translation)

The Mishna in Pirkei Avot sets up an equation between Torah and freedom. Only one who is involved with the study of Torah is truly free. But how is this so? Keeping Torah comes with a myriad of prohibitions and obligations. How does the study of Torah bring us freedom?

פירוש אברבנאל – נחלת אבות – אבות ו:ב

שההכנעה אל הדת אינה שעבוד, אבל הוא חירות. לפי שהדת והנהגתה מביאים האדם אל השלימות המדותיי, ולהיות שכלו בן חורין ולא עבד תאוותיו

Commentary of Rav Isaac Abarbanel on Pirkei Avot 6:2

For submission to the system of Torah is not slavery, rather it is freedom. For the system of Torah and its ways bring a person to the perfection of his character traits, which allows his mind to be free and not a slave to his passions.

The Abarbanel explains that service to the system of Torah enables freedom. The Torah has many restrictions and commitments. Looking at these in isolation one might conclude that the Torah is a form of bondage. However, the objective of the Torah system is not restriction but the development of a person’s character, such that they are not subservient to their personality or whimsical desires. The Torah does make demands, but it correspondingly orients a person toward achieving a greater and more fundamental freedom. Political freedom is a means, it is not an ends in itself in terms of the objective that man has for his life.

David Brooks – The Second Mountain

Political freedom is great. But personal, social, and emotional freedom--when it becomes an ultimate end…leads to a random, busy life with no discernible direction, no firm foundation…It turns out that freedom isn't an ocean you want to spend your life in. Freedom is a river you want to get across so you can plant yourself on the other side–and fully commit to something. (p.20)

Reflecting on the Rambam quoted above, the two themes of our philosophical progression from idol worshipers to those who recognize the Oneness of God, is the ultimate objective of our progression from slavery to political freedom. The author of the Hagadah has us begin with the paragraph of “We were slaves in Egypt” and we move from there to discuss “Our forefathers were idol worshipers”. We were granted both forms of freedom through the exodus from the country of Egypt and our exit from Egyptian values and culture.

References

Brooks D. (2020). The second mountain. Random House US.

Maimonides, M., Touger, E., Kaplan, B., Abramson, Z., & Silverstein, S. (2007). Mishneh Torah. New York: Moznaim Pub. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682956/jewish/Mishneh-Torah.htm

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/

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