As we get closer to Rosh Hashanah, we may be struck by how much the first verse in Parshat Netzavim reflects the situation of this auspicious holiday. There, Moshe relates how “every man of Israel” stood in front of God on that day. And although the Torah – and Judaism more generally – is very focused on us as part of the larger group, the Mishna (Rosh Hashana 1:2) emphasizes that we all come in front of God in single file. Not only can we not just ‘get by’ based solely on the virtue of the group; we can’t even claim a partner or a buddy and pass the judgment in more comfortable groups of twos.
Netziv takes this idea further, noticing that Moshe refers to both the leaders and the tribes being present. Understanding the tribes as a second way to describe the leaders, he asks why the Torah uses this seemingly extra word. His answer is as profound as it is important in our preparations for this year’s Day of Judgement. He points out that each tribe has its particular traits which, in turn, correspond to certain accompanying challenges. What is difficult for one tribe may be second nature for another. Clearly, God cannot use a one-measure-fits-all yardstick. Hence God’s view of the assembly is according to their different characters and so he looks at those in front of Him in view of their tribal cultures.
Netziv continues and explains that the inclusion of the phrase, “every man of Israel,” is meant to drive the point even further. In the same way as each tribe is different, so too is every individual. While this may be obvious, too many of us try to be righteous on someone else’s yardstick.
Hence, when we recite the confession for our sins or introspect more generally, we should make sure that our thoughts are personalized. It is not helpful to find a small area of improvement that will take no effort for us, even if it may be difficult for others. On the other side of the coin, we can sometimes make the opposite mistake and take on something for which we are not yet ready. Netziv’s point is an important one – that our self-assessment should be based on who we are, not on who our neighbor is. May we merit to be honest enough with ourselves, that we can know that which God expects from us.
{Prepared with editorial support from Harry Glazer}