It is no surprise, then, that many of our children grow up determined to succeed and ready to overcome every obstacle. However, many of them also grow into adults who believe that their every opinion and belief is inherently valid — even when it is unfounded and uninformed. Many act as if they have the right to live as they choose and to answer to no authority beyond themselves, regardless of the effect their choices have on others.
You can see the strengths and weaknesses of our romance with individualism. Our society produces people with tremendous drive and ambition, but also people who cannot see past their own egos. Often, it seems, they are the same people. There are a few business entrepreneurs, politicians, and Wall Street wheeler dealers who come to my mind when I think of this type.
It might seem reasonable to assume that one quality necessitates the other. We might think that it is our arrogance that produces our dauntless ambition, and that success naturally leads to egotism. I think that is a false assumption.
There is classical interpretation of the opening lines of this week's Torah portion (Re'eh) that speaks to the possibility — and, perhaps, the need — for balance between our drive to succeed and our responsibilities to others. Being ambitious does not need to make you a jerk.
The portion opens with the words, "See, this day I set before you blessing and curse" (Deuteronomy 11:26). The voice of the text is Moses giving an impassioned sermon to the Israelites who are about to enter the Land of Israel. He implores them to observe God's commandments, and thereby receive blessing, but not to disobey and suffer a curse instead.
Commentators from ancient times have observed a peculiarity in this verse. In Hebrew, the opening word, "See" (Re'eh) is in the singular, as if spoken to one person. However, the word meaning "before you" (lifneichem) is in the plural, spoken to a multitude. With this grammatical inconsistency, Moses seems to be speaking to one Israelite and to every Israelite at the same time.
What does this teach us about individuality and responsibility? Moses speaks first to each person alone. The word, "See," in the singular, acknowledges that we each have our own way of seeing the world. We each are unique and the world benefits from our multiplicity of perspectives. Each of us has strengths and abilities that add to the richness of the world and that give each of us opportunities to excel and to achieve in ways that others cannot.
Yet, just three words later in the Hebrew, Moses reminds us that the opportunity for blessing and the danger of curse are not just for one individual alone. The consequences of our individual actions, positive and negative, are before us all in the plural.
Our unique attributes and abilities are for each of us to discover and develop. We are invited to take pride in them and to push them to their limits. Yet, if we think that the benefits and risks of using those abilities are for ourselves alone, we are deluding ourselves. We are all in this thing called life together.
Think about how much sense this makes and how it is proven true over and over again. The titans of Wall Street who brought about the financial crisis of 2008 did so because they thought their acumen and ability should bring material blessing to themselves alone. What we all discovered, though, is that they instead brought a curse upon our entire society.
The ambitious politician who allows his unbridled personal cravings to rule him (yes, you know who I'm talking about), discovers that acts done in private have ramifications for thousands if not millions of other people. We humans are interconnected with each other and our individuality should not blind us to the way our actions effect one another. A society that only listens to the command to "see," given in the singular, but ignores the consequence, given in the plural, is a society built on delusion.
Yes, we should raise our children to know that they are special. We should allow them to celebrate their uniqueness and to push their abilities to the highest they can reach. But that does not excuse us from also teaching them that they have an obligation to use those abilities for the benefit of all, not just for themselves. Our gifts are also responsibilities. The things that make each person special are also the things that bind us to one another. They command us to the duty to use our gifts to build a better world.
Great ability should not be an excuse for great selfishness. In fact, the opposite should be so. Life's true joy is in seeing that our abilities are gifts we have been given in order to share them with those who are before us.
Other Posts on This Topic:
Toledot: Letting Go of the Struggle
"Not One of Them Was Left"