In nature, individuality can never be understood in isolation. The deepest truths of existence reveal that strength, energy, and even identity emerge most powerfully when separate entities join to form a greater whole. Yet many people, particularly in today’s society that prizes independence and personal achievement above all, find this truth difficult to grasp. The self-centered worldview assumes that joining together - in community, in selfless giving, or in shared purpose - diminishes one’s individuality and autonomy.
But the opposite is true: in giving of oneself, one discovers more of oneself. In joining others, one accesses a deeper layer of identity, a state that transcends isolation.
This principle is not only spiritual but also scientific. In the physical world, combining entities often creates a system with properties that are entirely new - and vastly more powerful - than those of its parts. Einstein’s famous equation E=mc 2 demonstrated that mass and energy are not two separate realities but two forms of one essential entity.
When subatomic particles such as protons and neutrons come together to form an atom’s nucleus, the process releases an immense amount of energy known as “binding energy." That energy is what gives atomic structure its stability. The particles, in essence, “pay" a small part of their mass as the price of forming something greater than themselves. The whole is literally lighter than the sum of its parts - but infinitely greater in significance, strength, and stability.
The same occurs when atoms combine to form molecules. Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom bond to form water - a substance that bears no resemblance to its components. In their pure forms, hydrogen and oxygen are gases, but when they join, they form a liquid essential to all life. This transformation releases energy, a subtle reminder that in every union, something is given up, but something immeasurably greater is gained. The new entity - whether an atom, a molecule, or a community - has properties its components could never achieve on their own.
Scientists call this emergence, in which complexity and synergy give rise to qualities absent in the components themselves.
This principle of unity transforming individuals into something qualitatively different is beautifully mirrored in Judaism. According to Jewish law, certain forms of holiness can manifest only when ten Jews gather to form a minyan - a quorum. The immense power of prayer can be realized only through the collective power of the people who create this entity.
If nine individuals pray separately, even in the same room, they cannot draw down the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, as a minyan can. Ten thousand animals could never replace that tenth human soul, because the power of a minyan lies not in quantity but in spiritual quality - the transformation of ten distinct souls into a single collective consciousness sanctified by unity.
When these ten individuals gather for prayer, they create something new: not ten voices but one voice magnified by holiness. The Talmud teaches (Berachot 6a) that “when ten are gathered for prayer, the Divine Presence rests among them."
Maimonides (1138-1204) writes that ten Jews form an entity greater than the sum of its members - what Jewish mysticism calls a tzibur, a collective soul. Halakhically, this new identity even overrides that of the individuals who comprise it. As Rabbi Nissim, known as the Ran, (1290-1376) wrote, “The quality of a congregation is infinitely greater than the sum of its parts."
Just as in physics, the union of particles gives rise to new properties, so too in the realm of the spirit, the unification of souls releases a divine energy that no single individual could ever elicit.
Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, (1717-1787), one of the great masters of Chassidic thought, posed a profound question: how can an individual in prayer say words such as “Forgive us," “Bless us," “Hear our prayer," and “in the name of all Israel" when he was not chosen to represent others? Who gave a single person authority to speak on behalf of the entire Jewish nation?
His answer is both simple and revolutionary: when Jews pray together, or when an individual prays with a sense of unity, one becomes part of the greater body of Israel. In that moment, the individual’s words are no longer merely personal but flow from the soul of the collective. The “I" that prays becomes “we," and that “we" ascends higher than any “I" could ever hope to reach.
Chassidic philosophy expands on this further. The Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760) taught that the unity among Jews mirrors the spiritual structure of creation itself. Just as each organ of the human body performs a unique function, yet all work in concert to sustain life, so too every Jewish soul has a unique role within the divine organism of the people of Israel. When one person isolates themselves, the divine vitality they possess becomes limited in scope - like an electrical circuit cut off from the grid. But when joined with others in mutual purpose, that same energy amplifies exponentially, much like particles releasing binding energy when they unite and become a more powerful whole.
Modern psychology has confirmed this ancient truth. Studies of community and well-being repeatedly show that individuals who participate in communal, altruistic, or spiritual activities report significantly higher levels of happiness, purpose, and even physical health. Researchers from Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program, for instance, found that shared rituals, community service, and prayer dramatically increase life satisfaction and emotional resilience.
Joy, it turns out, is not diminished by sharing - it multiplies. The “price" one pays for connection is, paradoxically, the key to human flourishing.
As discussed in Tanya (Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi 1745-1812) and other sources, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, Lubavitcher Rebbe, often emphasized this concept in his talks and writings, especially when describing the mystical body of the Jewish nation as a living organism rooted in divine unity. He explained that the true self is not the isolated ego but the Neshamah, the divine soul, inherently connected to others. When one views oneself as part of a klal - a totality - one experiences expanded selfhood, not diminished. The Rebbe frequently cited the example of light: when one candle lights another, its own flame is not diminished; rather, the room grows brighter. This metaphor captures the essence of both physics and spirituality - energy shared is not lost but transformed into a greater whole.
This duality between individuality and unity finds cosmic expression in the concept of the Shechinah. Kabbalistically, the Shechinah represents the indwelling Divine Presence within creation, yet it can be revealed only through harmony among human beings. Only through choice, through giving and connecting despite differences, does the infinite light fully reveal itself. The ten individuals who come together in a minyan symbolize the ten sefirot, the channels of divine energy. When united, they form a vessel - a harmonious structure through which divine light can dwell.
Even from a purely thermodynamic perspective, life thrives not in isolation but in structured complexity. Systems that interact and exchange energy evolve and endure, whereas closed systems decay. In this sense, the Torah’s emphasis on achdut (unity) aligns with the physical laws of nature: the flow of life requires openness and exchange. Just as in a star, where fusion releases radiant energy through the union of particles, the human soul shines brightest when it fuses with others in purpose and love.
Thus, the mystery of unity, explored by both physicists and mystics, points to a single truth: individuality reaches its highest expression when unified with others toward a greater good. Whether in the atomic nucleus, the human heart, or the congregation of a minyan, the principle remains the same - the whole becomes qualitatively more than the sum of its parts. The binding energy that holds us together may cost us a fraction of our ego, but it yields infinite light, warmth, and life.
For more information on my workshops, www.rabbishlomoezagui.com, and I can be reached at rsezagui@gmail.com