"Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose."

After the fall of Saddam Hussein some Iraqis embraced anarchy in lieu of democracy. Believing that the presence of Americans and open elections would limit their power and invite the "Devil" into their midst, they continue to create mayhem in the hopes of derailing the upcoming elections and defeating their foes. Free at last from the iron fist of Saddam Hussein, they have seized the opportunity to perpetuate his legacy of violence and terrorism.

For the insurgents, freedom means there are no constraints on actions they believe will help them achieve their goals. They see no alternatives; they believe they have "nothin’ left to lose."

Judaism has a far different view of freedom. For Jews freedom does not mean doing whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it, without regard to whom or what you may harm. For Jews freedom comes with a price tag. One’s freedom must be limited to making those choices which benefit, or at least do not harm, other human beings.

After the Israelites left Egypt they were free. But over and over again the Torah tells us that they were not happy. They argued amongst themselves, they rebelled, they complained, and at times they challenged not only Moses, but also God. They were on their way to the Promised Land, but it took them forty years to get there; not because of the distance, but because they needed to grow and mature so that they could take responsibility for the land when they arrived.

While it is true that the old generation had to die out in order for those born in freedom to persevere, it was not freedom alone which enabled the new generation to face the challenges ahead. They had an advantage that their elders did not have: on the way out of Egypt to Canaan, the Israelites stopped at Mt. Sinai. At Sinai God gave them the Torah, the Instruction and Laws necessary for them to forge a civilized, productive, and Godly society.

The Torah told them which behaviors were acceptable and which were not. The Torah limited their choices. The freedom they received when they left Egypt was not absolute. Their freedom was constrained by God’s Law, a Law designed to help them use their freedom to make a better life for them and their children.

The insurgents in Iraq are using their freedom to hurt and destroy, instead of to mend and create a better society for themselves and their children.

I am sure that they know even less about the Torah than they do about Janis Joplin. Its lessons of social responsibility and pursuit of peace are lessons it behooves them to learn. For if they continue their acts of murder and terrorism, to paraphrase Janis, they will soon find that they have everything to lose.