Shavuot is the culmination of the 49 day count, the 49 day preparation for our receiving the Torah.  This week we are beginning Sefer Bamidbar, which is the story of the Jewish nation after having left Har Sinai.  It is interesting to note that the opening pasuk we read last week as we concluded Sefer Vayikra was "vayedaber Hashem el Moshe beHar Sinai lemor".  Rashi and other commentaries ask what the purpose of mentioning Har Sinai here is.  After all we have been at Har Sinai since Parshat Yitro.  On whatever level one chooses to answer this difficulty, one thing is clear is that the conclusion of Sefer Vayikra is our wrapping up of the Har Sinai experience.  The mitzvah for which the idea of Har Sinai is emphasized is that of Shmitta and Yovel.  

The immediate connection between Matan Torah and the mitzvoth of Shmitta and Yovel is the counting of 49 leading to 50.  Our arrival at Har Sinai was the culmination of a count of 49 days, and the last mitzvah we read about before leaving Har Sinai and journeying into Sefer Bamidbar is the count of 49 years, with Shmitta every seven years, and culminating with Yovel on the 50th year.

Other than the numbers 49 and 50 there are other parallels that can be drawn between the counting towards Matan Torah and the counting of Shmitta and Yovel.  The sixth perek of Pirek Avot, known as Kinyan Torah, quotes the pasuk of the Torah as being "charut al haluchot" - engraved on the tablets.  Chazal teach us that we should not read it as charut, engraved but rather as cherut, freedom, for the only truly free person is one who is involved in Torah study.  Although when it comes to any derivation a person may wonder what the connection is between the original world and the word that it should be read as for drush purposes, but I would venture to say that this is more than simply a play on words.  There is a strong connection between the fact that the words are engraved and the idea of freedom.

It was only a few weeks ago that we celebrated Pesach - the zman cherutenu - our festival of freedom.  We see here that this idea of freedom is finalized at Matan Torah - this is the culmination of the freedom we were granted when we left Mitzrayim.  Yetziat Mitzrayim is only of value if it leads to "taavdun et haElokim" - you will serve Hashem your G-d.   A true ben chorin, a person who has achieved true freedom, is one who learns Torah. There is no meaning to a beginning without an end - if the Jewish nation did not attain the freedom of being osek in Torah then retroactively we did not attain freedom upon leaving Egypt.  Similarly there is no meaning to the creation if it does not include the days of Moshiach. This in fact is one of our major disputes with scientists - they may believe in a creation but without an ultimate purpose, there is no point to the beginning.

Regarding Yovel, we read the pasuk last week "you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land" - what is liberty, what is freedom? After fifty years we have reached a state of freedom, freedom is gained by learning Torah - what is the connection between the two? This is an important point to ponder because as we will see it is very different from the western world's definition of freedom.

One of the halachot of Yovel is that land is returned to its original owner. Is that what we call freedom?  I always associated freedom with being able to do as I please, if I wish to purchase anther person's land or sell mine to him, that is true freedom.  Unlike the outside world, we do not sell real estate forever, we lease it for a maximum of 49 years, it is too real, for it is too much a part of us to part with.  The Torah's definition of freedom is not that I am free to do as I please but that I am free to be myself.  Only a person who is in touch with his share in this world is a truly free person. When I became jealous of the neighbor's property then I became a slave to his property.  Only one who is happy with his share is a truly free person - eizehu ashir hasameach bechelko.  Yovel is movil - it guides a person to his share in this world. Sefirat HaOmer and the count of years towards Yovel each express the idea of the countdown towards freedom.

What is freedom, what is the geula we long await?  The concept of geula means that everything is in its proper place - "uvchol eretz achuzatchem geula titnu la'aretz.  It is not that geula is the cure for galut, on the contrary galut is the punishment for not living up to the standards worthy of geula.  Geula means that everything is as it should be, galut is when it is not as it should be.  When we pray for geula we are actually praying for everything to be the way it should be, for everyone to be able to be in touch with who they are.

This is the meaning of the Torah being engraved in us, for this is what our soul desires - this is our true self.  When the Torah is engraved in us, then we are free - thus charut implies cherut. Freedom means, not to do as we please, but to become ourselves, as we are and as we should be.  May our acceptance of the Torah in just a few days truly fulfill the purpose of being the culmination of our exodus from Mitzrayim.