By COLlive reporter
Which comes first? The individual or the community?
In a pre-Pesach lecture, based on the Rebbe‘s “michtav klali” of Shabbos HaGadol 5739, renowned lecturer Rabbi Shais Taub explains how the korban Pesach has the answer.
Throughout history, different societies have placed varying emphasis on the value of the individual and the value of the community, said Rabbi Taub, scholar in residence at Chabad of the Five Towns and columnist of AMI magazine.
Some societies, such as Soviet Russia, are examples of extreme “collectivism” where the individual is seen as subordinate to the community, he says. Other societies, such as America today, are examples of “individualism” where personal liberty is valued over the greater good.
But the overarching question is what kind of society does Torah teach us to have: Collectivist or individualist?
“According to the Rebbe, it is the very first mitzvah performed by the Jewish people, the korban Pesach, that holds the answer,” he explains in the lecture.
This pre-Pesach lecture was delivered at Chabad of the Five Towns as part of a series of monthly lectures at Chabad of the Five Towns directed by Rabbi Zalman and Chanie Wolowik.
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