The Core of Our Being
On Rosh HaShanah, our divine service revolves around the acceptance of G‑d as
King. Throughout the year, we regard G‑d’s sovereignty as
an established fact and we relate to Him through His edicts, the mitzvos.
On Rosh HaShanah, however, we focus on the essence of our relationship with G‑d,
accepting His sovereignty in an act of homage that encompasses our entire
existence. In making this commitment, the fundamental G‑dly spark at the core
of our being comes to the surface.1
This expression of our spiritual potential has an effect in the human realm
as well as in our relationship with G‑d. In paying homage to a mortal king, the
most august of nobles and the humblest of subjects bow together; their joint act
of submission efficiently levels them. By the same token, all Jews, regardless
of their differing levels of understanding and self-refinement, are joined in
the unifying act of accepting G‑d’s sovereignty.
The bond which unites different individuals extends beyond the shared act of
homage. At the deep-seated level of the soul where man is one with G‑d, there is
no division between one man and another. Recognizing our unity with G‑d in the
king-subject relationship thus reveals the internal unity which binds the entire
Jewish people.
An Organic Whole
The unity of the Jewish people may be clearly pictured by
means of the classic analogy with the functioning of the human
body.2
Although the body comprises organs of diverse structure and function, all these
components operate together as a single living organism. By the same token,
though the Jewish people is made up of numerous individuals, each with his own
distinctive nature, it functions as a single, vibrant unit.
The unity of the human body is manifest in two ways. First,
although the limbs and organs differ in form and function, they work in
complementary harmony, each contributing a necessary element to the operation
of the body. The feet, for example, provide the mobility through which the
senses are exposed to a greater range of stimuli enabling the brain to collect
and process information.
Secondly, the unity of the body is manifest by a collective
consciousness of self, an “I”. The various organs do not perceive themselves as
independent, separate entities, but as parts of an organic whole. When a person
stubs his toe, not only his foot feels the pain.
The collective Jewish body is also characterized by both
these kinds of unity. The divergent qualities and personalities which
characterize individual Jews are complementary. Even as we function as
individuals, we are part of a greater collective entity to which our
differences contribute.
Our awareness of this shared identity should affect the
quality of our relationships with others. Every Jew has his own unique potential
and personality. When an individual sees himself and others as joined in a
collective, he can appreciate the differentiating characteristics, seeing them
as resources to be shared by all, not as sources of competition and strife.
Jewish unity is also manifested at a deeper level in the fundamental oneness
of soul shared by every one of us. We each have a share in the unique “I” — not
the “I” of our individual, subjective consciousness, but the true “I” of the G‑dly potential that exists equally in all of us.
In Self and Above Self
Each of the above dimensions of unity has its own merits. At
the first level, there are obvious differences between the various organs, i.e.,
between individual Jews; here the unity results not from an overshadowing of the
parts, but from their interrelationship and interdependence. From this
perspective, the unity of the second level, in which the body operates with a
single consciousness, appears to be more complete.
The first level, however, is superior to the second in that
it permits the possibility of unity even in a bodily sense. The unity of an
overriding consciousness does not acknowledge the separateness of each part of
the body. By contrast, the oneness which is a function of interrelationship and
interdependence does not negate the individual part even while maintaining
unity. By the same token, the Jewish people are united not only at the point in
the soul which transcends each individual’s existence. Our unity can be
maintained even within the context of our separate identities. Even in the realm
where we appear to be separate and distinct from one another — i.e., as we exist
in the natural world — we are unified and share a commonalty.
Extending the Inner Bond
The two dimensions of unity are related. Because we share a single essence —
the “part” of our souls which is “part” of G‑d — we can be joined by bonds of
oneness even as we function within our individual identities. However, only our
day-to-day awareness of our shared identity and common purpose makes it possible
for us to appreciate this essential, spiritual bond that we share.
Rosh HaShanah is (literally) “the head of the year,” a time when we focus on
the core of our relationships, both with G‑d and with our fellow man. For this
reason, the second, transcendent type of unity is highlighted at this time. Just
as the head controls the functioning of the diverse limbs of the body, focusing
on our inner unity on Rosh HaShanah leads to
cooperation and common efforts throughout the days of the coming year.
The Key to Divine Blessings
Rosh HaShanah is a day of judgment, the time at which G‑d determines our
future in the year to come. By standing unified, together as one people, we
bring about a year of blessings. As we say in our prayers,3
“Bless us, our Father, all as one.”
The Baal Shem Tov explains this concept4 by likening G‑d’s relationship with the Jewish people to that of a father with
many children. When is the father truly happy? — When he sees all of his
children relating to one another lovingly. In the same way, the Baal Shem Tov
explains, when G‑d observes the unity of our people and perceives the bonds of
genuine love that connect us together, His joy finds expression in abundant
blessings for success in all our endeavors for the coming year. This, of course,
includes the ultimate blessing, the coming of the Redemption. May it take place
in the immediate future.
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos,Vol. IV, Parshas Nitzavim;Vol. XIX, Sukkos
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