R. Eleazar quoted in this connection the verse: “Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow (deror) a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at thy altars” (Ps. 84, 4). ‘Of the birds of heaven,’ he said, ‘some make their dwellings outside (in the open) and some inside human habitations: as, for instance, the swallow, which makes her dwelling in a house, and is not afraid. Why? Because all call it “deror”. And what, then, is the meaning of deror? Freedom, as it is written, “Ye should proclaim deror”, and the Aramaic translation of deror is,heru (Freedom). These swallows make a nest in a house and bring forth little ones and dwell in that house for fifty days and then separate and go each its own way and to whatsoever place it desires, all being free.
Similarly, it is written: “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom throughout all the land” (Lev. 25, 10). Freedom emanates from this fiftieth year to all, and because of this the Torah which proceeded from that fiftieth day is called “Freedom”. Concerning this it is written, “Graven (haruth) upon the tablets”, which word haruth contains the same letters as heruth, which is Freedom, and the Decalogue, which is the essence of the Law, is thus given its due appellation, because whatever this supernal day brings forth is called “Freedom”. It is the freedom of all things, of all spheres, of all worlds and of all created beings, both above and below.
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים פ״ד:ד׳) גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת וּדְרוֹר קֵן לָהּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁתָה אֶפְרוֹחֶיהָ אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹתֶיךָ וְגוֹ'. גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת, אִלֵּין צִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָא, דְּמִנְּהוֹן שַׁוְיָין מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן לְבַר, וּמִנְּהוֹן שַׁוְיָין מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן בְּבֵיתָא, כְּגוֹן דְּרוֹר, דְּאִיהוּ עוֹפָא דְּשַׁוֵּי דִּיוּרֵיהּ בְּבֵיתָא דְּכָל בַּר נָשׁ, וְלָא דָּחִיל. אֲמַאי. בְּגִין דְּכֹלָּא קָרָאן לֵיהּ דְּרוֹר. מַאי דְּרוֹר. חִירוּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ויקרא כ״ה:י׳) וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ חִירוּ. וְדָא אִיהוּ צִפּוֹר דְּרוֹר. דְּהָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּעָבִיד קִנָּא בְּבֵיתָא אַפִּיק בְּנִין, מָדוֹרֵיהּ בְּבֵיתָא חַמְשִׁין יוֹמִין, וּלְבָתַר מִתְפָּרְשָׁן אִלֵּין מֵאִלֵּין, וְדָא הוּא עוֹפָא דְּאִקְרֵי דְּרוֹר: חִירוּ.
R. Eleazar quoted in this connection the verse: “Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow (deror) a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at thy altars” (Ps. 84, 4). ‘Of the birds of heaven,’ he said, ‘some make their dwellings outside (in the open) and some inside human habitations: as, for instance, the swallow, which makes her dwelling in a house, and is not afraid. Why? Because all call it “deror”. And what, then, is the meaning of deror? Freedom, as it is written, “Ye should proclaim deror”, and the Aramaic translation of deror is,heru (Freedom). These swallows make a nest in a house and bring forth little ones and dwell in that house for fifty days and then separate and go each its own way and to whatsoever place it desires, all being free.
תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב, וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם אֵת שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר בָּאָרֶץ. מֵהָכָא נָפְקָא חִירוּ לְכֹלָּא, וּבְגִין דְּנָפְקָא מִנֵּיהּ חִירוּ, אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּנַפְקַת מִנֵּיהּ אִקְרֵי חִירוּ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (שמות ל״ב:ט״ז) חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת, אַל תִּקְרֵי חָרוּת, אֶלָּא חֵירוּת, וְדָא אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִתְקְרֵי חֵירוּת דְּהָא מָה דְּאַפִּיק יוֹמָא דָּא עִלָּאָה, אִקְרֵי חִירוּ, וְאִיהוּ חִירוּ דְּכֹלָּא. וְהַאי יוֹמָא אִיהוּ חִירוּ עִלָּאָה, בְּגִין דְּאִית חִירוּ תַּתָּאָה, וְחִירוּ עִלָּאָה. הֵ"א עִלָּאָה, הֵ"א תַּתָּאָה. חִירוּ עִלָּאָה. חִירוּ תַּתָּאָה שְׁמִטָּה וְיוֹבֵל כַּחֲדָא אִינּוּן.
Similarly, it is written: “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom throughout all the land” (Lev. 25, 10). Freedom emanates from this fiftieth year to all, and because of this the Torah which proceeded from that fiftieth day is called “Freedom”. Concerning this it is written, “Graven (haruth) upon the tablets”, which word haruth contains the same letters as heruth, which is Freedom, and the Decalogue, which is the essence of the Law, is thus given its due appellation, because whatever this supernal day brings forth is called “Freedom”. It is the freedom of all things, of all spheres, of all worlds and of all created beings, both above and below.