If Only I

הוּא (הלל) הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי. (אבות א:יד)

After emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility by stating that “If I am not for myself, who is for me?,” Hillel immediately presents the flip side by adding, “When I am for myself (only), what am I?”

Hillel’s statement can be understood on multiple levels.

Our Interaction With Others

Rav Chaim Volozhin explains Hillel’s statement as reminding us of our dependence on others. Though responsible for and able to accomplish much ourselves, we need others to help us maximize our potential. Rav Chaim focuses on our needing Hashem’s help. In addition to Hashem’s help, we also need that of friends and colleagues. 

The Midrash Shmuel sees Hillel as encouraging us to think beyond ourselves. Our responsibility for ourselves should not lead to us caring only about ourselves. If we are focused only on ourselves, “what are we?” A person whose life begins and ends with himself is of little significance.

Judaism puts great emphasis on both the responsibility we have for one another as well as the importance of viewing ourselves as part of the larger Jewish community. The Torah teaches the responsibility of tochachah wwhich requires us to admonish sinners. The principle of “kol Yisrael areiven zeh bazeh” takes this a step further by defining each Jew as responsible and culpable for the actions of others.

It is also critical that one identify as part of the Jewish community. Many explain that Hashem told Moshe to teach the guidelines of attaining holiness in the presence of the entire Jewish people to emphasize that Jewish holiness is achieved not through life in seclusion, but only through a relationship with the entire people. The Rambam took this a step further by asserting that one who separates from the Jewish community has no portion in the next world.

Our Existence

Hillel’s language (“what am I”) hints to a deeper, existential component. Rav Shimon Shkop (the great pre-World War II talmudic scholar) understands Hillel as addressing this existential plane. Naturally, people view their existence as limited to themselves. Rav Shimon labels this perspective as crude; more refined people see their existence as inclusive of others and, in fact, all of Hashem’s creations. 

People often see care for others as competing with care for themselves. Rav Shimon explains that, since our existence should include all others, care for others actually complements care for ourselves. 

Rav Kook uses this broad existential perspective to inspire us to live our lives properly. Our existential connection to the rest of creation means that our actions impact much more than just our own existence. Hashem revealed the (kabbalistic details of the) impact of our actions on the rest of the world in order to help us appreciate our significance. Our job is to internalize this reality and view our lives and actions appropriately.

Soul Perspective

The Baal Hatanya uses a similar idea to explain Hillel’s response to the convert who asked to be taught the entire Torah while standing on one foot: “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to yourself — this is the whole Torah.” As important as this idea is, we still wonder: how could Hillel present it as the entirety of the Torah?

The Baal Hatanya explains that the ability to care for others on the same level we care for ourselves hinges on focusing upon our spiritual (as opposed to physical) existence. On the physical level human beings are separate, independent entities. On the spiritual, soul level, though, we are all part of a larger whole. Because the Torah ultimately aims to focus us on the spiritual, caring about others as we do ourselves can be viewed as the core of the entire Torah. 

The Baal Hatanya added that this existential perspective is the basis of all Jews seeing themselves as brothers. Rav Kook built off this idea in many letters he wrote encouraging competing Israeli political parties to remember their brotherly relationship with one another.  

Balance

The Sefat Emet brings the two sides of our mishnah together by summarizing that, on the one hand, it is crucial that we appreciate that we are each unique, important, and responsible for our own growth and success. On the other hand, we need to see ourselves as part of the broader picture of Klal Yisrael and of Hashem’s full creation.