As I was proceeding down Colorado Blvd. on Thursday, March 15, I noticed someone walking down the street. I glanced over again and again and again at the pedestrian, and I had to shake my head. It couldn't be, but yes, it was. The pedestrian, a Caucasian man who appeared to be in his 40's was walking down the street, arms crossed over his chest, and he was COMPLETELY NAKED. And here I thought I had seen it all!

I pulled my car over in front of the fish market, and called directory assistance. I asked for the non-emergency number for the Santa Monica Police Department, and shortly thereafter I was connected with an operator. When I explained to the operator what I had just seen, she very matter-of-factly asked me a series of questions: Was he walking East or West on Colorado? North side or South side of the street? What did he look like? Was he wearing glasses?

After going back and forth for a while, I questioned the operator, Are you asking me all of these questions to be certain you pick up the right naked man?

She had a sense of humor, thankfully, and laughed along with me. Only in Santa Monica would someone decide to walk around naked she replied.

We all have the good fortune to live in this great country. I repeatedly thank God for the blessings I have received here in the United States, and in the Los Angeles area in particular. Most of us, to a great extent, can choose where to live, and how to dress, and where to vacation. We can decide where to send our children to school, how to spend our income, and what wine to enjoy with dinner when were out on a Saturday night. We have tremendous freedoms.

There is a story from the Talmud that describes why God finally decided to give the Torah to the Jewish people. After approaching many different nations, all of whom refused, God approached the Jewish people and asked if they would like to accept the Torah. Oh yes, God asked this question to the Jewish people while holding the entire Mt. Sinai over the peoples collective heads. What do you think their answer was?

During Pesah we speak quite a bit about freedom. According to the Torah, God freed our ancestors from bondage. But why did God do this?

I believe God did this for several reasons. God wants to empower us to decide how to live our lives. God didn't just give us freedom from slavery, but God gave us freedom to live our lives with or without Torah at its center. How we decide to include or not include these values is a personal decision, but hopefully Torah becomes more a part of each of our lives year in and year out. By including such fundamental Jewish principles such as Shabbat, Kashrut, practicing our business affairs ethically and refraining from idle speech, we can aspire to a Jewish ideal of Am Kadosh, a holy nation.

May God of infinite wisdom grant us the ability to choose right from wrong, light from darkness, and holiness from profane. May the holiday of religious freedom bring us closer to our families, to our traditions and to God. And may God help us to make decisions that will improve our lives, the lives of our community and of our people.