The Power of One

Abraham was one. This statement in The Book of Ezekiel is interpreted by Rebbe Nachman to mean that Abraham served Hashem as if he was the only person in the world.

He was not daunted by the magnitude of the problems all around him; all the cruelty barbarity, poverty, and idol worship. He was not particularly concerned whether anyone else would step up to the plate and take the initiative. Rather he had an unstoppable sense of personal responsibility, a vision of opportunity, and a sense of urgency. Look at what he accomplished!

We, his descendants also need to take initiative and try to do our personal best. What are some ways that one person can make a difference?

Repentance

Rabbi Meir says in Gemara Yoma that when one person repents he can bring forgiveness to the world. We need to realize that when we do sincere repentance we elevate not only ourselves and the people around us but people that we don’t even know. In fact, we can uplift the entire world!

Accepting tribulations with love

Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi says in Gemara Taanis that when one person bears tribulations with love, he can bring salvation to the world. Accepting tribulations with love and thanking Hashem are supreme expressions of emuna. When one does this despite experiencing   pain and difficulty he in effect makes a statement that he believes completely in Hashem’s mercy and justice. This evokes phenomenal Divine compassion.

Emuna and Personal Holiness

Our sages teach that the sea split in the merit of one person, Joseph. This was due primarily to his incomparable level of emuna and personal holiness. While Hashem doesn’t expect that each of us rise to the levels of Joseph, He does require us to strive to reach our own unique potential in emuna and personal holiness.

Prayer

Each person is limited in his or her available time, physical ability and financial resources. However prayer has no limit. When you are patient, persevere, and believe in the power of prayer, your prayers can override nature- the supernatural can become the natural.

Daily personal prayer for Israel

These concepts of personal initiative and responsibility can be brought to bear in our prayers for Israel. We all know the difficult challenges and dangers facing Israel today. Therefore, we each need to step up the frequency and intensity of our prayers. Here are some ideas that draw from the principles we’ve just reviewed.

“Hashem, please help me to guard my eyes and improve in the area of personal holiness. In the merit of this, please guard our people. Please bless our defenders with safety and success. Please do not allow our enemies to harm a single Jew.

Hashem please help me to grow in emuna and believe with all my heart that everything you do is for the best. Please help me to thank you for the seemingly bad as well as the good. Please help me to realize that no one can help or harm us without your command. The enemy is really just a stick in your hand. In the merit of this, please put down the stick. Please nurture us and bring us close to you. Please bless Israel with spiritual and material abundance and with safety and security.

Please help me to judge others favorably even when it’s difficult to do so. Please help me to forgive others who cause me pain. In the merit of this, please forgive us for our sins and shortcomings. Please give us more time to do to repent and help us to repent.

Hashem, please help me to do a better job fighting my evil inclination. In the merit of this please fight our enemies for us.

Please help me to overcome my nature. In the merit of this, please go above nature and send us Your miraculous salvations. We can’t live without them. Our nation was born due to Your miracles and we survive as a result this. In fact as Rabbi Shalom Arush points out, whenever Israel experiences a single day of peace You are turning the world upside down in order for this to happen. Please help me never to take this for granted and to thank You and pray to You continuously.”

Be a person who makes a difference

Just think of the impact that can be achieved if each one of us would pray for a few minutes each day on behalf of Israel. Think of the impact that can be achieved if only one person does this. Each of us should say: I am going to be that person! This is the way of Abraham.

Each of us must think, speak, act and pray as if the future of Israel and the whole world depends on us. That’s because it does. In the merit of emulating Abraham and serving Hashem as one, may He send us his protection and blessings and may He hasten the full redemption of our people, amen!