Re’eh 5786

Parashat Re'eh opens with a subtle shift from the singular ("See") to the plural ("before all of you"), showing that every moral decision begins with the individual but always affects the wider community. The Torah teaches that each person is personally responsible for their choices, yet those choices are never isolated.

Jewish commentators explain that Moses calls on every individual to think, believe, and choose for themselves rather than simply follow the crowd. At the same time, our actions influence others, echoing the Talmud's teaching that one deed can tip the balance of the entire world. Modern research on social networks supports this idea, showing that our behaviours spread far beyond those we know.

The message of the parsha is that Judaism values both individual dignity and collective responsibility. Every generation stands at a crossroads where personal decisions shape not only our own lives but the world around us. Moses reminds us that while the choice is ours alone, its consequences belong to all of us.

The ideas are shaped and based on the work of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, and influenced by Maimonides, Nachmanides, Don Isaac Abarbanel, Samson Raphael Hirsch, David Zvi Hoffmann, Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, and Uri Amos Cherki.