Finding Our Way Back Home: Mishpatim
Yirmiyahu 34:8-22, 33:25-26
One word echoes throughout this week’s haftorah—דרור, freedom. More than just physical release, דרור represents a deeper, intrinsic state of autonomy and belonging. In Rosh Hashana 9b, Rashi cites Rabbi Yehuda, who explains that דרור stems from דור, meaning one who freely chooses where to dwell—someone who is not just unchained but truly home. Ibn Ezra offers another insight: דרור is a swallow, a bird that sings only when free; when trapped, it refuses to eat and dies, a poignant reflection of the human soul’s need for unencumbered existence.
Rashi in Mishlei expands on this imagery: כַּדְּר֣וֹר לָע֑וּף, the swallow always returns to its nest. Unlike other birds that abandon their birthplace, swallows migrate vast distances—up to 6,000 miles—yet instinctively return to the same barn, the same partner. Historically, British sailors even tattooed a swallow on their arms as a symbol of returning home. True freedom is not just about leaving captivity but about returning to one’s rightful place.
This theme of return lies at the heart of the Torah’s laws of servitude. The Torah mandates that Jewish slaves be freed after six years, ensuring that they, too, can reclaim their homes and identities. Yet in Yirmiyahu’s time, the people, after initially releasing their slaves as commanded, cruelly re-enslaved them. The Navi rebukes them, emphasizing דרור—true freedom is not just about unbinding shackles but about restoring people to where they belong. By denying others their freedom, the people of that time committed a grave sin.
This principle of דרור extends beyond individual cases; it is woven into the very fabric of Jewish law. The message is powerfully expressed in the Yovel year, when the Torah in Sefer Vayikra 25:10 commands that וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר בָּאָרֶץ לְכָל־יֹשְׁבֶיהָ, And you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants. This enduring message of restoration and release is so fundamental that it was inscribed on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, a symbol of universal freedom.
Today, we have witnessed a modern-day cry for דרור. After close to 500 days in captivity, hostages are finally returning home to Israel. Their journey, like that of the swallow, has been long and fraught with uncertainty, yet the pull of home never wavered. Their return reminds us that true freedom is not just release from captivity but the restoration of identity, dignity, and belonging. As we witness this moment, we pray for the release of all the hostages. It is also a moment to reflect on our own spiritual journeys and strive to free ourselves from the distractions that distance us from our essence. Like the swallow, may we always find our way back home.