The Power of One

A few years ago my family had the privilege of attending the Bar Mitzvah celebration of a young man named Matthew. Matthew was an enthusiastic, happy fellow who always had a warm smile and a hearty "Shabbat Shalom!" for everyone. He also was challenged with a number of developmental difficulties, including being intellectually challenged. From the service (when he chanted Torah as well as many blessings) to the magnificent dinner party (where he greeted every guest personally) the entire day was memorable. I was reminded of the lesson taught by our sages. Nine learned Torah scholars do not make a minyan - until Matthew joins them! Oh, the power of one!

We all matter!

When one first joins the Jewish community or is just beginning to become more observant, it can be very easy to underestimate one's own value within the community. If you look around you will always find someone more learned, more talented, better trained, more influential than you. Thank G-d for all of them. The community certainly needs them. But each one of us is needed! The Jewish people make up less than 3 per cent of the world's population. We suffered the loss of six million in the Shoah. Every single Jew is vital to the survival of our people.

Each one has an important role to play

You may be asked to take on some specific responsibility in your local community. Very often congregations are looking for someone with a certain skill. That might just be you! But even those of us who have no particular position still have a vital role to play. I learned this lesson many years ago on Tisha B'Av, the traditional day of fasting in remembrance of the loss of our Temple. My son had become Bar Mitzvah a few months before. He had begun to lay tefilin and wanted to do so on Tisha B'Av during the afternoon service. However our shul was not having an afternoon service, so we went to visit another synagogue where we knew the rabbi well. When we arrived we were greeted by one of the congregants. "Did someone call you?" 

"No," I explained, "My son wants to use his new tefilin, so we came for a visit."

Our new friend tearfully exclaimed, "G-d has sent you!" He needed to say Kaddish for a parent. They needed two more people to complete the minyan. If we had not gone, he would not have been able to fulfill the mitzvah. Perhaps G-d had sent us!

The Power of One

Never underestimate the power of one! One can never know what good may be accomplished by anything one does. Share a kind words with someone who is sad. Visit or call a lonely friend. Say a prayer for one who is sick. Or just wish someone a heart-felt "Shabbat Shalom." Each time we say a brachah we praise Hashem "who makes us holy through His mitzvot..." Each mitzvah that we do adds holiness to our lives and to the world. It could be a life-changing experience. That's the power of one!

Related links:

Why do mitzvot?

Showing Kindness (Chesed)