The Power Of One
Following the curses in parsha Ki Tavo last week, Am Yisrael were in shock, “How can we possibly survive such terrible curses?” Moshe reassured them “Despite the curses, you are all still standing (Nitzavim) here today (HaYom)” (Rashi, Devarim 29:9). Even though you have sinned, G-d invoked His attribute of mercy and forgave you. The Zohar HaKadosh says that wherever the word “HaYom” appears in the Tanach, it is referring to Rosh Hashana.
Last week’s parsha signaled a major turning point in the history of Am Yisrael, such a fundamental and monumental metamorphosis, that by all rights it should have been blazoned in headlines and glittering lights. However, if one were not paying close attention, it could easily be missed.
In parsha Ki Tavo, G-d renewed His covenant with Am Yisrael just prior to us entering the Promised Land. As explained in last week’s shiur, it was tantamount to a reenactment of Har Sinai. At Har Sinai, Am Yisrael were perfectly united and collectively declared “Na’aseh VeNishma,” uncontested allegiance to Hashem and the Torah.
What is less obvious and we need to rely on Chazal to point it out to us, at Mt. Grizim and Mt. Eival, in addition to the above, Am Yisrael for the first time in history (and forever more) declared their uncontested allegiance – to one another. It was here that the fundamental principle of “Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh La’Zeh” (mutual responsibility), was born (Gemara, Sanhedrin 43b).
The practical ramification of such a groundbreaking undertaking was that even if one individual in Am Yisrael sinned, all of Am Yisrael would be held accountable. Such a prospect was no less terrifying than the curses. Am Yisrael asked Moshe “Even if someone sins in secret, we will be held accountable.
How can we even know if someone sins in secret?” Moshe’s reply was – “If an individual sins in secret, G-d will expose these sins and make them public” (Devarim 29:28). The Gemara (above) brings the example of Achan in the time of Yehoshua, who stole from the spoils of Jericho.
This premise of mutual responsibility sets Am Yisrael apart from the other nations. The other nations are individuals sharing a mutual heritage, whereas Am Yisrael are a collective sharing a mutual heritage. With the other nations it is every man/woman for him/herself, with Am Yisrael, the acts of the individual affect the whole. Chazal bring a parable of people in a boat.
One of the people begins to drill a hole under his seat. The others cry out in alarm “What are you doing, you will sink the boat!” The person drilling replies “But I am only drilling under my seat, it does not affect anyone else.” With the other nations it doesn’t affect anyone else, with Am Yisrael it does.
The concept of the Twelve Tribes and mutual responsibility is a “collective” concept, in which the individual appears to be secondary, however the opposite is the case. The power of begins with the individual. When the individual operates under the mindset of “What am I doing? How am I affecting Am Yisrael by what I am doing?” instead of constantly looking for fault with others – that is the foundation of mutual responsibility.
Chazal compare Am Yisrael to a human body. How absurd would it be if your left arm felt superior to your right leg, or your heart felt superior to your brain, or your ears superior to your eyes! You have heard the expression “cutting off your arm to spite your face!” Such a notion is ludicrous, simply because we understand that all these parts make up our body and they all have their specific, essential role to play in the smooth running of the organism.
An individual, one solitary person, has tremendous power. We often mislead ourselves into thinking “What can I do to change anything, I am just one person!” History has proven to us that the most powerful force in our world is the “one person,” the individual.
We live in an age where these values are becoming blurred. I recently heard a very interesting talk by talk show host Dennis Prager trying to define the fundamental difference between a “liberal” and a “conservative.” Prager says that the liberal philosophy is to identify the ills of society and to address them directly, without trying to improve the individual.
This is why you have liberal activists who are very outspoken on societal issues like global warming, etc., but the morality in their private lives does not necessarily match their societal morality. On the other hand, the conservative philosophy aims to identify the ills of the individual, and improve them, for example – mutual responsibility, faith, etc., and by doing so build a more moral society, one person at a time.
Needless to say, the conservative philosophy more reflects the Torah view. This is the concept of teshuva.
We all have to reach out, to take one step closer to our roots, to G-d and to Am Yisrael. “I am only one person – what can I possibly do that will change anything?” What you do will change everything – you each have enormous power, all it takes is just one small step – to be better people, to respect each other a little more, to help each other a little more, to learn Torah a little more – even if it is “baby steps.”
Taking upon ourselves to have a little more kavanah when we say brachot, when we daven, to learn one more “something” every day – another halacha, another Mishna. Do one extra chesed every week, every month. Baby steps. This is the power of the individual and the power of the “little guy.” Water has the power to shatter rock, dripping one drop at a time. Similarly, “baby steps” in edging closer to G-d have the power to shatter a heart of rock.
Ketiva ve’Chatima Tova
Parshat HaShavua Trivia Question: Where was the Sefer Torah that Moshe wrote before he died placed?
Answer to Last Week’s Trivia Question: Which of the “Simanim“, the symbolic foods, we eat in the Seder on Rosh Hashana, is alluded to in the parshat Ki Tavo? “And Hashem will place you at the head and not the tail” (Devarim 28:13) – the custom of eating fish/sheep’s head.
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