When I was learning Hebrew as a child, we went for four hours per week of just Hebrew (beyond religious school) which was unusual for a Reform congregation.  We learned to read short stories, to read without vowels, to translate, and a lot of grammar.  In fact, learning Hebrew grammar helped me in English class (translation to modernity: Language Arts).  One of those grammatical foci was prepositions.  Prepositions are, per a quick Google search:

a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, as in “the man on the platform,” “she arrived after dinner,” “what did you do it for ?”

As we prepare for Passover, the celebration of our freedom, let us pay attention to our prepositions.  Let us consider when it is freedom from that is more important and when it is freedom to that is more important.

By the time of God’s intervention through the plagues, the Israelites are leaving from.  They are leaving slavery behind.  We use terms like “push factors” to describe unpaid hard labor in the hot sun with no rest and poor living conditions. They are free from bondage.

By the time they arrive at Mount Sinai, these recent former slaves are seeking freedom to.  We use terms like “pull factors” to describe the renewed covenant with God, the freedom to live as a full human being with free choice.

Each year, we too count from freedom (Passover) toward the Sinai covenant (Shavuot).  It is our people’s ancient story and annual reenactment.  This year: from what do you need to be free?  Invite yourself into the work of really considering that question.  And then ask yourself this: Toward what will your freedom lead you?