Torah as the Engine of True Freedom

בפסוק אנכי ה"א אשר הוצאתיך מא"מ.

On the verse: "I am Hashem your God, who took you out of the land of Mitzrayim" (Shemos 20:2).

The Sefas Emes examines the opening of the Aseres HaDibros, which roots Hashem's sovereignty in the Exodus.

במד' ע"מ כן הוצאתיך שתקבל אלקותי עליך כו'.

In the Midrash: "On this condition I took you out — that you should accept My Godliness (Elokus) upon you …"

Chazal teach that the very purpose of yetzias Mitzrayim was so that Bnei Yisrael would accept Hashem's sovereignty over them.

א"כ יצ"מ תלוי בקבלת עומ"ש כפי מה שמקבלין עול תורה ומצות.

If so, yetzias Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Mitzrayim) depends on accepting ol malchus Shomayim (the yoke of Heaven's kingship) — in accordance with how much one accepts the yoke of Torah and mitzvos.

Since the Exodus was for the sake of accepting Hashem's kingship, the very reality of redemption is bound up with one's acceptance of the ol of Torah and mitzvos.

כך מעוררין כח יצ"מ.

In that measure one awakens the power of yetzias Mitzrayim.

Accepting the yoke of Heaven actually arouses and reactivates the redemptive force of the Exodus in one's own life.

ולזה אמרו אין לך בן חורין אלא העוסק בתורה.

And concerning this they said: "There is no free man (ben chorin) except one who occupies himself with Torah" (Avos 6:2).

True freedom is found specifically in Torah, because Torah is what awakens the liberating power of the Exodus.

שהחירות וגאולת מצרים מתעורר לו.

For the freedom and the redemption of Mitzrayim are awakened for him.

One who toils in Torah reawakens within himself the cheirus and geulah of yetzias Mitzrayim.

ולכן בק"ש אחר קבלת עול תורה ומצות מזכירין יצ"מ.

Therefore in Krias Shema, after accepting the yoke of Torah and mitzvos, we mention yetzias Mitzrayim.

The order of Shema reflects this idea: only after accepting the yoke of Heaven (in the first paragraphs) do we recall the Exodus — for the one flows from the other.

וכ"כ המקבל עליו עול תורה מעבירין ממנו עול מלכות כו':

And so too: whoever takes upon himself the yoke of Torah, they remove from him the yoke of [worldly] kingship (ol malchus) … (Avos 3:5).

Accepting the yoke of Torah lifts away the burden of subjugation to worldly powers — the very freedom that yetzias Mitzrayim represents.

Summary: The Sefas Emes teaches that yetzias Mitzrayim was given on condition of accepting Hashem's kingship, so the redemptive power of the Exodus is awakened in a person precisely to the degree that he accepts the yoke of Torah and mitzvos. This is why "there is no free man but one who toils in Torah," why Shema mentions the Exodus after accepting the yoke of Heaven, and why accepting the yoke of Torah removes the yoke of worldly kingship — Torah is the ongoing engine of true freedom.