Torah Portion
We Are One People
Bound By Covenant
example, if the one blowing the shofar
on Rosh Hashanah is not obligated to
perform the mitzvah of hearing the sho-
far blown, then he may not enable oth-
ers to fulfill the obligation by hearing
his blowing.
The Talmud brings the opinion of
Ahava,
the son of Rav Zeira, who states
n this week's Torah portion, we
that even one who has already fulfilled
read of the Jewish people accept-
his own mitzvah may perform the act to
ing the obligation to keep the
enable someone else to fulfill their
Torah and of God's revelation at
obligation (Rosh Hashanah 29A).
Sinai with the giving of the Ten
This opinion, which is the accepted
Commandments.
opinion
in Halachah (Jewish law), is
God tells Moses to present to the
explained by the Ra.N.
people for their approval the
(Rabbi Nissim ben Reuvain,
proposition that "if you listen
ca.1310-1375)
that even if
to My voice and keep My
one has already performed
covenant then you will be to
his mitzvah, since all Jews are
me a special nation ... a king-
responsible for one another, if
dom of priests and a holy
any
other Jew has not yet ful-
nation." (Exodus 19:5-6).
filled
this same mitzvah. then
The Torah records that "the
no
one
else has vet complete-
entire nation answered togeth-
ly
fulfilled
his obligation.
er and said, All that the Lord
'iaii.cri•A • 44
Thus the original person still
has spoken we will do.
remains "obligated" (Ra.N.
(Exodus 19:18) The accep-
RABBI ELIEZER
Rosh Hashanah).
8A
tance of the Torah was unani-
COHEN
Therefore,
according to
mous; the entire nation was
Special to The
the
Ra.N.,
unless
all Jews
willing to commit to accept
Jewish News
have
fulfilled
their
obligation,
God's sovereignty over them
then
no
Jew
has
completely
and to keep His command-
observed that mitzvah; every Jew is
ments.
dependent upon all other Jews to com-
The great Torah commentary
pletely fulfill his religious obligations.
"Meshech Chachma" (Rabbi Meir
We
are truly one nation, one unit
Simcha of Dvinsk, 1843-1926) makes
together
before God.
the observation that it is impossible for
The
Jews
not only accepted God's
any one individual to keep "all that the
covenant
and
the obligation to keep
Lord has spoken." There are obligations
the
Torah
"together,"
but that very
and prohibitions in the Torah that
covenant
bonds
every
Jew inextricably
apply only to specific segments of the
to
every
other
Jew
and
makes each
people.
Jew
responsible
for
and
dependent
There are commandments that relate
upon
the
behavior
of
each
and all
only to kohanim (priests) or Levites.
Jews.
There are commandments that only
I pray that all Jews will realize this
pertain to the judges or the king. There
fact
and that mutual responsibility, con-
are mitzvot that are relevant only to
cern
and love will bring to actuality the
women or to men.
bond of unity that the Torah requires. ❑
Thus, it was appropriate for the
Shabbat Yitro:
Exodus 18:1 20:23;
Isaiah 6.1-7:6 9:5-6
-
I
Torah to emphasize that the "entire
nation together" accepted the Torah. It
is only possible to fulfill the entire
Torah if the nation functions together
as one unit with each individual playing
his unique role and fulfilling his unique
responsibility. We as individuals alone
cannot keep the entire Torah. That can
only be done as a part of the whole
nation.
What's more, at the end of the third
chapter of tractate Rosh Hashanah(29A)
the Mishnah states, "Anyone who is not
obligated to fulfill a mitzvah cannot
perform the act in order to enable the
public to fulfill their obligation." For
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation
Or Chadash.
•
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