The Freedom of the Collective and the Freedom of the Individual Are One
Therefore, the Tana (Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai) described the Arvut as two people on a boat, when one of them began to drill a hole in the boat. His friend asked, “Why are you drilling?” He replied, “What business is it of yours? I am drilling under me, not under you.” So he replied, “Fool! We will both drown together!”
Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut [mutual guarantee],” Item 18
Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says, ‘Since the world is judged by its majority, and the individual is judged by the majority, if he performs one Mitzva, happy is he, for he has sentenced himself and the whole world to a scale of merit. If he commits one sin, woe unto him, for he has sentenced himself and the whole world to a scale of sin.’”
Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 110
Do not be surprised that one person’s actions bring elevation or decline to the whole world, for it is an unbending law that the general and the particular are as equal as two peas in a pod. And all that applies in the general, applies in the particular, as well. Moreover, the parts make what is found in the whole, for the general can appear only after the appearance of the parts in it, according to the quantity and quality of the parts. Evidently, the value of an act of a part elevates or declines the entire whole.
Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 68
And each and every individual in society is like a wheel that is linked to several other wheels, placed in a machine. And this single wheel has no freedom of movement in and of itself, but continues with the motion of the rest of the wheels in a certain direction, to qualify the machine to perform its general role.
And if there is some breakdown in the wheel, the breakdown is not evaluated relating to the wheel itself, but according to its service and role with respect to the whole machine.
Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
Do not be surprised if I mix together the well-being of a particular collective with the well-being of the whole world, because indeed, we have already come to such a degree that the whole world is considered one collective and one society. Meaning, because each person in the world draws his life’s marrow and his livelihood from all the people in the world, he is coerced to serve and care for the well-being of the whole world.
We have proven above that the total subordination of the individual to the collective is like a small wheel in a machine. He draws his life and his happiness from that collective, and therefore the well-being of the collective and his own well-being are one and the same, and vice-versa.
Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
Therefore, in our generation, when each person is aided for his happiness by all the countries in the world, it is necessary that to that extent, the individual becomes enslaved to the whole world, like a wheel in a machine.
Therefore, the possibility of making good, happy, and peaceful conducts in one state is inconceivable when it is not so in all the countries in the world, and vice versa. In our time, the countries are all linked in the satisfaction of their needs of life, as individuals were in their families in earlier times. Therefore, we can no longer speak or deal with just conducts that promise the well-being of one country or one nation, but only the well-being of the whole world because the benefit or harm of each and every person in the world depends and is measured by the benefit of all the people in the whole world.
Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
It thus turns out that the collective and the individual are one and the same. And the individual is not harmed because of his enslavement to the collective, since the freedom of the collective and the freedom of the individual are one and the same, too. And as they share the good, they also share the freedom.
Thus, good attributes and bad attributes, good deeds and bad deeds are evaluated only according to the benefit of the public.
Of course, the above words apply if all the individuals perform their role toward the public to the fullest and receive no more than they deserve, and take no more than their friends’ share. But if a part of the collective does not behave accordingly, it turns out that not only do they harm the collective but they are also harmed.
We should not discuss further something that is known to all, and the aforesaid is only to show the drawback, the place that needs correction, and that is that each and every individual will understand that his own benefit and the benefit of the collective are one and same thing. In that, the world will come to its full correction.
Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
And in our subject, the benefit of each and every person within his collective is evaluated not according to his own goodness, but according to his service to the public. And vice-versa, we appreciate the attribute of evil of each and every individual only according to the harm one inflicts upon the public in general, and not by one’s own individual value.
These things are crystal clear both from the perspective of the truth in them, and from the perspective of the good in them. This is because what is found in the collective is only what is found in the individual. And the benefit of the collective is the benefit of each and every individual: who harms the collective takes his share in the harm, and who benefits the collective takes his share in the benefit, since individuals are part of the whole, and the whole is not worth in any way more than the sum of its individuals.
It thus turns out that the collective and the individual are one and the same. And the individual is not harmed because of his enslavement to the collective, since the freedom of the collective and the freedom of the individual are one and the same, too. And as they share the good, they also share the freedom.
Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
The body with its organs are one. The whole of the body exchanges thoughts and sensations regarding each of its organs. For example, if the whole body thinks that a specific organ should serve it and please it, this organ will immediately know that thought and provide the contemplated pleasure. Also, if an organ thinks and feels that the place it is in is narrow, the rest of the body will immediately know that thought and sensation and move it to a comfortable place.
However, should an organ be cut off from the body, they will become two separate entities; the rest of the body will no longer know the needs of the separated organ, and the organ will not know the thoughts of the body, to benefit it and serve it. But if a physician came and reconnected the organ to the body as before, the organ would once again know the thoughts and needs of the rest of the body, and the rest of the body would once again know the needs of the organ.
Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”
Now we can interpret what our sages wrote (Hagiga 15a), “Rewarded – a righteous. He takes his share and his friend’s share in heaven. Convicted – a wicked. He takes his share and his friend’s share in hell.” It means that one takes the Dinim and the alien thoughts of one’s friend, which we should interpret over the whole world, meaning that this is why the world was created filled with so many people, each with his own thoughts and opinions, and all are present in a single world.
It is so deliberately, so that each and every one will be incorporated in all of one’s friend’s thoughts. Thus, when one repents, the profit from it will be Hitkalelut (mingling/ incorporation/integration).
It is so because when one wants to repent, one must sentence oneself and the entire world to a scale of merit, since he himself is incorporated in all the alien notions and thoughts of the entire world.
Baal HaSulam, Shamati[I Heard], Article no. 33, “The Lots”
Is it possible that if someone sins or commits a sin that upsets his Maker, and you have no acquaintance with him, the Creator will collect his debt from you? It is written, “Fathers shall not be put to death for children… every man shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deuteronomy 24:16), so how can they say that you are responsible for the sins of even a complete stranger, of whom you know neither him nor his whereabouts?
And if that is not enough for you, see Masechet Kidushin, p 40b: “Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Shimon, says: ‘Since the world is judged by its majority and the individual is judged by its majority, if he performed one Mitzva, happy is he, for he has sentenced the whole world to a scale of merit. And if he committed one sin, woe onto him, for he has sentenced himself and the whole world to a scale of sin, as it is said, ‘one sinner destroys much good.’’”
And Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, has made me responsible for the whole world, since he thinks all the people in the world are responsible for one another, and each person brings merit or sin to the whole world with his deeds.
Baal HaSulam, Matan Torah [The Giving of the Torah], Item 17
The general and the particular are as equal two peas in a pod, both on the outer part of the world, meaning in the planets in general, and within it, for even within the smallest atom (molecule) of water, we find a complete system of sun and planets orbiting it, exactly as in the big world. Similarly, within man, the inner part of the world, you will find all the images of the Upper worlds: Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya, as the Kabbalists have said that the Rosh is Atzilut, through the Chazeh it is Beria, from there to Tabur it is Yetzira, and below is Assiya.
Baal HaSulam, “The Meaning of Conception and Birth”