Nitzavim נצבים

My Musing
How strong is unity? What is our obligation to each other, and the world? What is their obligation to the individual?
The midrash begins with a declaration of equality before the law. It then expands to include our culpability for the actions of others and the culpability of others for our actions.

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת נצבים סימן ב
(דברים פרק כט:ט) "אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי יְדֹוָד אֱלֹקֵיכֶם, רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם, כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל "

You are standing today, all of you before the Lord your God, your leaders, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel,

"רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם"

"your leaders, your tribes"

אף על פי שמניתי לכם ראשים, זקנים, ושוטרים, כולכם שוין לפני. שנאמר, " כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל "

Even though I appointed to you, leaders, elders, officers, you are all equal before me, as it says, " all the men of Israel"

דבר אחר, " כֻּלְּכֶם" ערבים זה בזה. אפילו צדיק אחד ביניכם " כֻּלְּכֶם" עומדים בזכותו. ולא אתם בלבד אלא אפילו צדיק אחד ביניכם כל העולם כולו בזכותו עומד. שנאמר, (משלי י:כה) "כַּעֲבוֹר סוּפָה וְאֵין רָשָׁע וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם"

Another idea, “all of you" are guarantors to each other. If there is even one righteous person amongst you “all of you" are standing in his merit. And not only you, but if there is one righteous person amongst you the whole world exists in his merit. As it says, "When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; but the righteous is an everlasting foundation"

וכשאחד מכם חוטא כל הדור לוקה. וכן אתה מוצא בעכן (יהושע כב:כ) "הֲלוֹא עָכָן בֶּן זֶרַח מָעַל מַעַל בַּחֵרֶם וְעַל כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה קָצֶף וְהוּא אִישׁ אֶחָד לֹא גָוַע בַּעֲוֹנוֹ"

And when one of you sin then entire generation is punished. And so you find with Achan (who plundered the city of Jericho after it had been consecrated to God) “Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass concerning the devoted thing, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And that man perished not alone in his iniquity."

מדת פורעניות מועטת והדור נתפס בה, מדה טובה מרובה על אחת כמה וכמה. לכך נאמר, " כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל", ולא גדולים שבכם בלבד, אלא אפילו טפכם, נשיכם, וגרך. לכך נאמר, "כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל".
לפי שבשר ודם מרחם על הזכרים יותר מהנקבות, והקדוש ברוך הוא אינו כן, כי (תהלים קמה:ט) "טוֹב יְדֹוָד לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו"על הזכרים, ועל הנקבות, ועל הצדיקים, ועל הרשעים. שנאמר, (דברים כט:י) " טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ".

The quality of mishaps is minor and the generation is ensnared by it, the quality of good character provides how much more so! Therefore it says, "all the men of Israel", and not the great ones alone, rather, even your children, wives, and the stranger that dwells with you. Therefore it says "all the men of Israel", since humans have more mercy on boys than girls, but the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like that. "The Lord is good to all; and His mercy is over all His works" on the males, the females, the righteous, and the evildoers. As it says, "your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is within your camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water"

" מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ" אמר רבי יצחק בן טבלי, מלמד שבאו הגבעונים אצל יהושע בן נון וקבלן שנאמר, (יהושע ט:ד) "וַיַּעֲשׂוּ גַם הֵמָּה בְּעָרְמָה וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיִּצְטַיָּרוּ וַיִּקְחוּ שַׂקִּים בָּלִים לַחֲמוֹרֵיהֶם וְנֹאדוֹת יַיִן בָּלִים וּמְבֻקָּעִים וּמְצֹרָרִים"
מהו " גַם הֵמָּה"? ללמדך, שבאו אצל משה ולא קבלן.

"From the hewer of wood" Rabbi Yitzchak ben Tavli said, this teaches that the Gibonites came to Joshua the son of Nun and he received them. As it says, "they also did work wilely, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine skins, worn and rent and patched up"

What is the meaning of "they also" to teach you that they came to Moshe and he did not accept them.