Only twice does the Torah use the
expression "lo tov" —translation, "it is not good." Once when God declares
(in the first statement about human nature in the Torah) "lo tov heyot
adam l'vado" — it is not good for man to be alone. The second time is
Exodus 18 when Moses' father-in-law tells him it is lo tov, not good, for
him to be judging the people on his own.
One thing the Torah makes clear to us is
that aloneness in life or in complex tasks is not good. The individual has
great resources but they are insufficient to the even greater challenges of
life. All the current corporate wisdom about working in teams and interaction
between experts in different disciplines, the way in which groups can be more
creative — all of this is an outgrowth of lo tov. The artist in her
garret, the hermit in his cave, Moses on the mountain; they have their place
and time, but only if each returns to the community to enrich and be enriched.
To be alone is to go into battle without
troops, or better, to try harmonies with a single voice. Come to Micah on
Shabbat and you will not be alone. Come to Micah on Shabbat and find
friends, partners, a family. Indeed, it is lo tov to always sing
alone. Come to Micah and find community. Join your voice to
ours. We are ready to greet you with the words, “Shabbat shalom!”
