I learned more about being a soldier from Moshe Bachar during my reserve duty than from any other officer I encountered in the IDF, and he taught me a huge lesson. One of the other soldiers in the unit was constantly intimidating me. He had served in a really tough fighting unit and even in reserve duty, where we were all pretty much equal, he bossed me around. Moshe saw this and took me aside.
āDonāt worry,ā Moshe said. āHe isnāt the best soldier here.ā
āBut he shoots better, runs faster, and is so much better than me in every way,ā I said.
Moshe shook his head. āNo one soldier is the best soldier,ā he explained. āEvery soldier has to make himself the best he can, but that is not so he can be the best. If one soldier runs ahead, he will be all alone. That isnāt good for him or anyone else. If he only thinks of himself, that makes him the worst soldier. The best soldier is the guy who works with his platoon.ā
Though it is true that every person has to develop their relationship with God, the Torah was given to the entire nation at Mount Sinai. So which is more important; the individual or the nation?
This question becomes more perplexing in one compact, confused verse:
Who is this verse directed at? The individual or the nation?
This confusing formula is repeated later:
Who exactly is God speaking to?
The question becomes even stronger when we consider the Shema prayer, the twice-daily declaration of Godās unified rule over the world. The first line is notably in the singular even though it is addressed to the entire nation:
In a rather confusing manner, the paragraph that follows describes mitzvoth (commandments) written in the singular. This includes loving God, teaching your children, tefillin (phylacteries), and mezuzah (a small scroll of parchment affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes); all written as an imperative to the individual.
But the second paragraph of the shema changes that, confusing the matter further by alternating between the singular and the plural:
The answer, of course, is that the Torah is both individual and collective. Belief is individual but a belief in ONE God unites people. Even the performance of commandments is both individual and communal. The individual performs the mitzvah but it also benefits the community.
In many cases, the community takes an active role in the individual performing the commandments. In situations such as redeeming the firstborn, brit milah, and educating children, if the parents or individual cannot afford to perform the mitzvah (command), the community is required to do so.
Even prayer, the most intimate and personal aspect of an individualās relationship with God, is enhanced when carried out as a community.
In many ways, the individual depends on the community in order to perform the mitzvoth. A Jewish community needs a teacher of children, a mohel to perform circumcisions, a kosher butcher, and many others.
This is not redundant. Each star is distinct and individual. Their beauty is best seen when they are viewed separately. But this is not so with sand. As an individual, a single grain of sand is unimpressive and insignificant. But many grains together can form an island and stand against storms.
Though it is true that the individual is responsible for his actions, he is acting as part of the whole community. We serve God both as individuals and as part of a group. We must always remember that while we are responsible for ourselves, we must not forget our connection to the community and our responsibility to others.
