Mutual Responsibility

One of the final acts of Moshe Rabbeinu before his death, was to make a new covenant with the Jewish people. According to the Keli Yakar, the purpose of this covenant was to teach the concept of כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה, that all Jews are responsible for one another.

This idea is hinted by the fact that when Moshe made this final address, he listed the various levels of the members of society. He began by mentioning the heads of the tribes all the way down to those who did the most menial tasks of being wood choppers and water drawers.

He was trying to emphasize that not only are we the Jewish nation, but we are also the Jewish family. Like a family, we are there for each other in time of need. The pain of one Jew, is the pain of every Jew.

Such a concept is not really seen in other religions. One does not see the connection between a member of a religion in one country, to a similar practitioner in another country.

We are not allowed to stand by our brother’s blood. This is why in our times, we had to work hard to free Soviet Jewry, the Ethiopians, and the Bnei Menashe. We are one people with one destiny.
One cannot emphasize enough the importance of Jewish Unity. When we are united as one people, worshipping one G-d, we are invincible. It is abundantly clear why Moshe chose the message of mutual responsibility as part of his final address to the Jewish people.