As any parent of a toddler or teen can attest, being in a relationship with others, especially those we live with, is full of negotiating. Both toddlers and teens are in moments of their lives where they strive for independence even as they depend on the love and care of their caregivers. Learning how to advocate for their personal needs while being a part of a family system is no small task.
Yet, that is our work as members of a community. While each culture places itself along a spectrum of individualism to communal obligation, each navigates that tension. Our Torah presents numerous laws in Mishpatim, our portion this week, that place us along that continuum. In quick succession, we are instructed not to oppress the stranger, to let our fields rest every seventh year and give the produce to the poor, and to rest on the seventh day of the week, so that our workers will be refreshed.
Judaism asks us to always consider the needs of the community, often putting them before our own. How do you navigate the tension between your obligations to yourself and your community? What would it look like to lean more toward your community?