by Nancy Gould
This week’s parasha, B’midbar, starts the Book of Numbers. G-d commands Moses to “take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.” All men 20 years and older who are able to serve in the military are to be counted, with the exception of the Levites, who are tasked with taking care of the tabernacle.
In the case of the Levites all males 1 month and older are to be counted. There are three groups of Levites who are descended from the three sons of Levi: the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites. Each group will have specific responsibilities relating to the tabernacle, and these are described in detail in the Torah portion. Finally, money is collected from the other tribes to support the Levites.
What is the purpose of this census? It represents the organizing of a community. People are organized by their identity as individuals who are part of a family, who are part of a clan, who are part of a tribe, who are part of the larger Israelite community, who are part of all of humanity. While each man is listed individually by name, each tribe is given specific responsibilities, whether it is serving in the military or performing religious duties.
It is significant that each individual is called out “by name, one by one.” While the community is important, so is the individual. The individual has the responsibility to serve the community, but the community also has the responsibility to take care of the individual. When taking the census, one man from each tribe is called upon to assist Moses. Curiously, the name of each leader is preceded by the preposition “lih” or “for.” While many English versions translate the word as “from,” “for” is closer to the actual meaning: the leaders are for the people in their tribes.
The importance of the community, or kehillah, in Jewish tradition cannot be overstated. The Talmud has a saying: “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh”—“All Israel is responsible for one another.” In Pirke Avot, or Ethics of the Fathers, we are told: “Do not separate yourself from the community.” So much of the focus in Judaism is on the group rather than on the individual.
Our prayers tend to use the word “we” rather than “I.” In traditional Judaism, we are taught that prayers are more effective if they are said as part of a minyan, or quorum. As Jews we believe that the best way to learn is through group discussion, where multiple opinions can be expressed. Judaism actually frowns on the ascetic ideal of going off alone to explore our spirituality, which is why unlike other religions, we have no tradition of monks. Rather, we are expected to be part of the community. It’s not by accident that we often refer to ourselves as the “Jewish community.” In contrast you don’t hear Christians talking about the “Christian community” or Buddhists talking about the “Buddhist community” or Hindus talking about the “Hindu community.” As Rabbi Saltzman once told a friend who converted: When you become Jewish, you’re not only joining a new religion, you’re becoming part of a community.
On the other hand, too much emphasis on community can have a dark side. Many of the Russian Jews were supporters of communism because they naively thought that it would be better for the people. Ironically, communism itself was invented by Karl Marx, a German Jew who was descended from a long chain of rabbis. The original idea of communism — “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” — was a very noble concept that was entirely consistent with traditional Judaism. Unfortunately, this idea became corrupted as communism became more and more about what the individual could do for the state rather than what the state could do for the individual.
While Karl Marx was undoubtedly influenced by his Jewish background, it’s important to remember that Judaism also emphasizes the importance of the individual, which is why Moses is specifically directed to list “every man by name, one by one.” The Talmud teaches that “He who saves one life, it is as though he has saved the entire world.” Each and every one of us has an important role to play in tikkun olam, the repairing of the world. Everyone counts.
But just as placing too much emphasis on the community isn’t a good idea, placing too much emphasis on the individual also has its dangers. The United States has often placed an emphasis on freedom of the individual at the expense of the good of the community. We don’t always do such a great job of taking care of the poor, the sick, and the needy. Some people even take the extreme position that the government should have no place whatsoever in providing for the needy—it should all be up to the individual.
I’m not here to argue politics with anyone, but I hope that you will all agree with me that neither extreme is very good, and this seems to be what the Torah portion is ultimately saying. Everyone has responsibilities: to themselves, to each other, and to G-d. I’ll close this discussion with a quote from Pirke Avot:
“If I am not for myself, who will be?
But if I am for myself only, what am I?
And if not now, when?”
Shabbat Shalom.