Why Judaism Emphasizes Community: The Spiritual Power of Living Together

Michal asks: "I understand that according to the Torah, Jews are expected to always be responsible for one another, to pray together in a minyan, and to live as part of a community. But in today’s Western society, people often live very independently, and even neighbors barely interact. I understand why loneliness isn’t healthy, but why does Judaism require us to always be part of a group?"

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Shalom, and thank you for your important question.

You asked why God requires us to live together as one people, to pray together, and to be involved with others. The books of Jewish ethics explain that many commandments between people exist in order to refine the soul. The Sages taught that the mitzvot were given “to purify” people, just as a jeweler polishes diamonds to remove the outer layers. They also said that “with the measure a person uses, so is it measured for them”, meaning that the way we treat others becomes the way Heaven treats us.

Our interactions with other people are what train and elevate our souls. Without others, we cannot truly become righteous or compassionate.

To understand this, imagine a person who grows up alone on a deserted island from early childhood. Would this person grow up righteous or wicked? The truth is, they would have no way to develop any traits at all. They wouldn’t face anger, gossip, revenge, deceit, theft, or even kindness, because all of these require other people. Virtues and character refinement only happen through real-life relationships.

That is why the Sages said: “Just as one knife sharpens another, so too people sharpen each other.” The deepest Torah learning is done in chavruta (study partnership), to the point that the Sages declared: “Either companionship or death” (Taanit 23a).

Without others, a person is unable to grow spiritually, fight their urges, refine their impulses, or practice kindness. In Jewish ethics, it is even said: “The material needs of the other person are your spiritual growth.” By caring for others, we ourselves rise higher.

An unmarried person is called “half a person,” since marriage and family life give opportunities for emotional connection, selflessness, and love. As Rabbi Akiva taught: “Love your neighbor as yourself — this is the great principle of the Torah” (Jerusalem Talmud, Nedarim 30). Love is the foundation of personal and spiritual growth.

God created human beings with both good and negative impulses — selfishness, gossip, anger, but also empathy and generosity, so that we could refine ourselves through choice. Judaism guides us to live in community so that, through relationships, we can refine our character, strengthen our souls, and prepare for eternal life.

Judaism lifts Jews out of isolation, binding them together with a shared mission as God’s people. Through Jewish law and communal life, we are brought into contact with one another, constantly challenged to give, to overcome, and to grow into better human beings.