The use of the singular verb to begin the Parsha shows that we are all morally responsible for our actions. The use of the plural “to you” shows that as individuals we are a society.
A Quick Devar Torah: One Person Can Build a Society
This week’s parashah, Re’eh, begins with an interesting grammatical anomaly. The opening word, Re’eh—”See”—is in the singular. Moshe is speaking as if to one individual: You, pay attention to what I am about to say. But immediately afterward he says, “I place before you today a blessing and a curse,” and the word “before you” is in the plural.
Did the Torah make a grammatical mistake? Of course not.
The Torah is teaching something profound. Moshe is reminding every Jew to hear the message personally. Even though the blessings and curses affect the entire nation, each individual must accept responsibility for his or her own choices.
Society is not some abstract thing. Society is simply the sum of millions of individual decisions. When each person accepts responsibility for doing what is right, the entire community becomes stronger.
That is why Moshe speaks to each of us individually before addressing us collectively. He is saying, “You standing there—don’t think that because you’re only one person your actions don’t matter. They do.”
This reflects an important principle of Jewish thought. Judaism has room for debate. We may disagree about many interpretations and ideas, but we do not believe that morality itself is merely a matter of personal opinion. Today we often hear phrases like, “That’s your morality,” or even, “Those are your facts.” Judaism rejects that kind of moral relativism. Facts are facts, whether we like them or not. Likewise, what is morally right or wrong is not determined simply by personal preference.
Take kashrut as an example. A non-Jew who does not keep kosher is doing nothing morally wrong. But for a Jew, keeping kosher is one of the mitzvot through which we sanctify our lives. The great rabbis have debated for centuries the reasons behind the laws of kashrut, and no single explanation has been universally accepted. What we do know is that God commanded us to observe them, trusting that they help shape us into better Jews and better people.
The same is true of all the mitzvot. Each one asks the individual to take responsibility.
Moshe is saying: You must give tzedakah. You must do acts of kindness. You must choose blessing.
This reminds us of Hillel’s famous teaching:
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
We must take responsibility for ourselves, but we must never forget that we are part of something larger. Others are watching us. Our example influences our families, our friends, and our communities.
When each individual chooses to do what is right, society itself is transformed.
Something to think about.
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