Accountability to Better Society: The Man with the Drill
Last night, after a fun tennis match, my friend Nicole stopped by my house. As usual, we quickly found ourselves immersed in a deep conversation. Despite coming from completely different backgrounds, we share a bond through our love for discussing religion, biblical stories, the profound power of God, the definition of God, and the world around us.
As we sat down, I showed her our new family edition of the ?Soffer Rosh Hashanah Seder and High Holidays Haggadah. While flipping through its pages, we came across a Talmudic verse that has always resonated with me: "All Israel is accountable for one another." It sparked one of those deep, challenging discussions that always seem to arise whenever we talk—this time, about the balance between personal responsibility and holding others accountable for the greater good.
Some might believe that their actions and behavior don’t really matter, but the story of Shimon bar Yochai tells us otherwise.
A group of people went sailing on a ship. Without saying a word, Reuben took out a drill and started drilling a hole under his seat. His friends noticed and rushed over, asking him, "What are you doing?"
Reuben looked up, puzzled by their concern, and said, "Why do you care? I’m not drilling under your seats."
But his fellow passengers quickly responded, "The water will not just flood your seat; it will sink the entire ship. We’re all in this together, and your actions affect us all."
This story may seem simple, but its message is profound. In life, we’re all on the same ship. We may each have our own seat, our own space, and our personal interests, but the actions we take—or don’t take—can affect everyone else on board. Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away.
So, even if something doesn’t seem like it’s our responsibility, it is—because we’re all connected. If we don’t hold each other accountable, we’re just letting the ship sink. It’s about recognizing that we have a responsibility to one another, even when it’s uncomfortable and involves risks or potential losses. Collective accountability is not just a moral duty; it’s essential for our survival.
It’s easy to say, "not my problem," or "I don't care," but when we do that, we’re missing the bigger picture. We’re all in this together, and sometimes that means stepping up and taking action, even when it’s tough.
Our conversation lasted late into the night, and I couldn’t help but think that this story—this lesson—is something worth sharing, something that could spark self-reflection and deeper conversations with others.
So, here are a few questions for self-reflection when you see someone drilling a hole in the ship:
1. What do you say or do in an assertive and responsible manner?
2. How do you find the balance between personal and social responsibility?
Let’s reflect and share what it means to hold ourselves and others accountable—not just to ourselves, but to the whole ship. Because at the end of the day, we’re all on this journey together, and the world around us needs us to care and hold ourselves and others accountable.
#personalresposibility #collectiveaccountability #speakingupassertively #actingresponsibly #collectivegood #amisraelchai #Roshhashanah