A Lesson From the Talmud

"whosoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whosoever that saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." (Hillel the Elder)


 "..Therefore, humans were created singly, to teach you that whoever destroys a single soul [of Israel], Scripture accounts it as if he had destroyed a full world; and whoever saves one soul of Israel, Scripture accounts it as if she had saved a full world..."

 ".. the Holy One, blessed be God, stamped each person with the seal of Adam, and not one of them is like his or her fellow. Therefore each and every one is obliged to say, "For my sake the world was created.."(Mishna, Sanhedrin 4:5 - Part 2)


For our sake, the entire world was created.  God created us as individuals, and therefore every person carries that indelible mark that grants them dignity--and is a testament to their humanity.  A single life is as valuable as the entire world, and we are told that what makes the universe is in fact inside each and every one of us--"we are made of star-stuff," as Carl Sagan was fond of saying.

The idea that comes up in my mind, again and again, is the idea of a cosmic oneness that we are all an intricate part of.

It is so easy to forget this principle, that if we lose a life, it is as if we have lost an entire world!

So often we hear about murder, death, disease, and destruction, that we can become easily overcome by apathy. But what makes us truly human--what gives us the right to declare that we have rights, is the fact that we are created by God, and that fact, grants up a special place in the universe. (Although, the famous Jewish philosopher Maimonides, stated that all life should be regarded as a creation in and of itself, and therefore can never be, "a means to an end," i.e. Kant's moral imperative)

If we pay too much attention to all the media telling us how much life has been lost, and how much tragedy has been inflicted throughout the world, we are essentially hearing the message: that life is worthless.

Try and keep this maxim in mind when you pass a stranger, or watch the news, give to the less fortunate, or ponder your personal stance on violence or the death penalty.

Regards,

Chris.