"V'haluchos ma'aseh Elokim heima v'hamichtav michtav Elokim hu chorus al haluchos - The Tablets were God's handiwork, and the script was the script of God, engraved on the Tablets (Shemos 32:16).[1]
"Al tikrei chorus ela chairus she-ein lecha ben chorin ela mi she-oseik b'talmud Torah, she-kol mi she-oseik b'Torah harei zeh misaleh - do not read chorus (engraved), rather chairus (free), only one who studies Torah is free because anyone who studies Torah becomes elevated (Avos 6:2).
Chazal's comment is, primo facie, puzzling, both methodologically and substantively. Methodologically - ostensibly Chazal artificially generate a drasha by altering the vocalization. Substantively - Torah especially with its compliment of mitzvos lo ta'aseh appears to be demanding and constricting, thereby limiting freedom.
Let us ponder for a moment the definition of freedom. Superficially, freedom entails liberation from control and demands of some person or power.[2] Accordingly, it seems ironic that Talmud Torah be depicted as the path to freedom. In truth, however, genuine freedom depends not only upon political liberation, but primarily upon internal liberation. Genuine freedom entails liberation from unrefined instincts and unredeemed passions. One who is hostage to his own anger, or can not curb his desire for physical pleasure or is forever driven to seek honor and riches may be politically free, but leads a brutal, slavish existence.
By contrast, one who refines his instincts and redeems his passions, and, thus ennobled, commits himself to doing ratzon Hashem, is truly free.
Talmud Torah leads to such genuine, existential freedom in two ways. First of all, the act of Talmud Torah - encountering and assimilating into one's being dvar Hashem - purifies and uplifts. [3] This is true of every parsha in chumash and sugya in shas. But it is doubly true with regard to yesodos haemunah, the fundamentals of Torah faith. Study of yesodos haemunah in particular provide an additional awareness of freedom.
Consider the following illustration. When someone inflicts financial or bodily harm upon us, we instinctively become angry and sometimes desire revenge. Too often we are slaves to our own anger. In the midst of an outburst we are likely to say and do things that we, upon regaining equilibrium, deeply regret. Comments made in anger can cause incalculable, irreparable damage. Since the emotion of hate is stronger than that of love, in seeking revenge we are prone to act against our own best interests.[4] And so forth.
Talmud Torah can free us from this bondage and refine our instincts. Our belief in hashgacha pratis, personal divine providence, teaches us that in life we are not subject to chance or happenstance or the capriciousness of others.[5] In the words of the Sefer Ha-Chinuch, [6]"anything which befalls a person - good or bad - is caused by Hashem."[7]
Thus, desire for revenge is not simply immoral, but nonsensical. If the other person had not inflicted this harm, it would anyway have been forthcoming. (Indeed, the Sefer Ha-Chinuch [8] explains that the Torah prohibits revenge for theological (not ethical) reasons; revenge constitutes a denial of divine providence.) This is simply no cause for personal anger (there is room for moral outrage, but we rarely experience such pure anger) or revenge. The Torah's teaching - and our Talmud Torah - breaks the bonds of anger and revenge.
But there is one catch. Talmud Torah of any kind, but especially of yesodos haemunah, purify us and lead to freedom, but only if we internalize the Torah. Following up on an illustration above, it does not suffice to believe or know what the Torah teaches regarding hashgacha pratis. We must internalize that belief in order to refine our instincts, and replace anger and interpersonal strife with kabbolas yisurim be'ahava, accepting adversity and suffering with love.
The Torah teaches us the lesson of internalization by describing that the script was engraved upon the tablets. The script was not merely on the surface; it penetrated and was engraved.
Chazal explain that internalization of Torah is the key to freedom, as explained above, in their comment al tikrei chorus, ella chairus.
Thus our methodological puzzle is also solved. "The method of al tikrei simply makes explicit what is already implicit in the simple traditional reading of the text. Viewed from this perspective, the method of al tikrei actually provides penetrating insight into the peshuto shel mikra. This insight is corroborated by the homophonic kinship between the simple reading and its al tikerei variant."[9]
[1] Stone Edition Translation
[2] This is a paraphrase of the definition of freedom provided by Webster's New World Dictionary
[3] Be'ur Halacha 571; Avos 6:2
[4] HaGaon Reb Chayim offered this observation based on Makos 23b. (quoted by HaGaon Reb Aharon in the name of his father HaGaon Reb Moshe)
[5] Many, but not all, of our chachmei Masora advance this understanding of hashgacha pratis. In my devar Torah "Free will and Divine Providence" (TorahWeb, Vayigash, 1999) I attempted to explain how this view of all-encompassing divine providence is compatible with free will and personal responsibility
[6] Mitzvah 241
[7] Of course, this does not contradict Hashem's benevolence. On the human level, we experience suffering as evil. Accordingly, a human being who inflicts suffering is evil, and we condemn him as such. On the divine level, Hashem acts out of love and justice, and we accept His judgment with love.
[8] Ibid