On September 17th, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. This Constitution Day, we would like to share with you an article by former ROF speaker, Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik, on the Hebraic history of the Liberty Bell that is the symbol of the freedoms we are blessed to have in America. His words can be read here in Commentary Magazine from 2022, and they still ring true today.
The original Liberty Bell, commissioned by Pennsylvania in 1751, was enshrined with an excerpt from Leviticus which linked American freedom with God’s promise to the Jewish people. Though there seems to be many divisions in our country today, the bell stands to remind us of our shared history as Americans. As Soloveichik states, “the bell embodies a people who…were inspired by the Bible to advance the cause of liberty on its own soil and throughout the world.”