After work the other day, I turned on the television and saw a news special on the genocide in Darfur. The images were graphic and the message was powerful, and I was motivated to act for this cause. Ideas and campaigns were racing through my head. The next day, although I was still motivated to make a difference, I found myself questioning what I as an individual could really do to make a difference. After all, I am just one person! I also began to think about why I felt the way that I did. How could I lose my drive so quickly?
I think the answer to this question, as well as a great leadership lesson can be found in this week’s parasha. The parsha begins as follows, “Re’eh Anochi Noten Lifneichem Hayom, Bracha Uklala” ” “See (in the singular) I am placing before you, the Jewish people, the blessing and the curse.” There is a question that is asked regarding this opening pasuk. Why does the Torah begin to talk to the individual and use the language of “Reeh” in the singular tense, and continue a few words later in the plural tense with the word “Lifneichem.” The Torah should have been more consistent in its tense!
The Chatam Sofer examines this question and brings a Gemara in Kiddushin to help answer it. The Gemara says that one should live his or her life as if their life is in complete balance between good and evil. If they were to perform even one more Mitzvah, their personal scales would be tipped and they would be guaranteed life. However, the opposite effect holds true as well. By using this mind set, an individual will learn the power of even one of his or her actions on their life.
R’ Akiva later in the Gemara takes this idea a bit farther. He says that not only should one have the mindset that their life is a scale, one should view the entire world as being in complete balance. R’ Akiva is trying to explain that every person should view themselves as being able to individually affect the entire world.
The Chatam Sofer concludes, that this is precisely what the Torah is trying to tell us. We should see (Re’eh) as individuals the power that we have on the world around us. If we do Mitzvot than we are promised that Hashem will place before us (Lifneichem) Brachot.
I think that this is the mindset that we must all have when searching for motivation or trying to tackle a challenge. By using this mindset of a balancing scale, each of us will realize the potential we truly have on the world around us. Hopefully we can take that drive and tip the scales towards life in the world.
Written by Binyamin Lehrfield, Associate Director of the Eimatai Project
