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Edmond J. Safra & Joseph S. Jemal Synagogues

Turnberry Village & Porto Vita Minyan

One of a Kind

As society becomes less and less personal, it is easy to lose sight of our own inherent value. It is not uncommon to feel like some non-descript, insignificant member of planet Earth's 7.6 billion residents. In contradistinction to this unsettling mindset, the Torah repeatedly reminds us that we each possess a unique personality, a singular composite of strengths, weaknesses and talents. That at the end of the day, we are truly and undoubtedly one of a kind.

This message resonates throughout the Parsha in various contexts:

"G-d spoke to Moshe, saying: 'Attack the Midianites and smite them; since they attacked you through their plot over the matter of Peor ... (25:16-18). Rashi: "But G-d did not command Israel to destroy Moab because of Ruth who was destined to emerge from them."

Imagine that. The emergence of one, single righteous woman centuries later, was enough of a merit to justify the continued existence of an entire nation.

"These are the sons of Dan according to their families ... sixty-four thousand, four hundred." (26:42-43) With a population of nearly 65,000, the tribe of Dan was the largest of all but one (Shevet Yehudah) according to the national census that appears in this week's Parsha. This figure is a far, far cry from the "modest" beginnings of Shevet Dan as Dan himself had only one son - Hushim (who himself was deaf). Who would have imagined how prolific this Tribe would become from the humble beginnings of Dan's one and only child.

Don't underestimate the potential positive repercussions you can bring to the world. Don't discount how many lives you can inspire or how many smiles you can create. True we might never launch a thousand But don't let that deter you one bit. Life is not - nor has it ever been - strictly about numbers.

Whether it is your particular prayer that will usher in Eliyahu and the Rebuilding of Jerusalem is not anything we need to reckon with...but far be it from us to modestly excuse ourselves from such a request on account of our own (errant) perception of our insignificance.

Never count yourself out. You are a beloved child of Hashem. Culture may seek to discredit our immense significance. Against that current, may we rise to the occasion and capitalize on the spirit of these days. And may our own, unique, irreplaceable and inimitable contribution help bring the Ultimate Redemption speedily in our days.

                                                                                            Shabbat Shalom,

                                                                                           Rabbi Isaac Farhi