The Ten Commandments and the Celebration of Uniqueness (Rav Hirsch)

On the morning of November 15th 2022, we all accomplished something wonderful. We were a part of the great victory of humankind reaching 8 billion total people in the world. Round of applause for us. Pat on the back, here we go. Procreation. I guess we're going up about 0.9% annual increase of human life on the world. Very cool. And what is kind of funny but shocking is that if you travel the world, walk outside, you'll see people and out of all 8 billion of us, nobody looks the same and there isn't that much that can even change. In the face, you've got some eyes, some noses, some earses and some mouthhises, but no one looks the same and there isn't that much that can change. Maybe a couple freckles here or there, but it's crazy. Everyone's like 1 in 8 billion and yet everyone looks so different. It speaks very much about to that, how our individuality and our uniqueness is untouchable. It shines through even in the human complexion. Something interesting and this all comes to mind because Raph Hirsch makes an unbelievable point in pointing out that there are a grand and really overarching thematic commandments in the Ten Commandments, from Shabbos to not killing, to believing in God, honoring parents and tucked away. Don't make a Shvua Shav, don't make a swear, an oath and vain. Not that it's an unattractive one, it just seems to be overlooked. And why is it here? Why is it a part and parcel of Ten Commandments? And Raph Hirsch points out that Chazal tells us that the way that one can, god forbid, violate this would be by, in one of the primary ways to say I swear, this is this, that they're the same. Tree is a table, or I am Johnny, I'm not. Gold is silver. They're not. It's a Shua Shav. It's useless. As Raph Hirsch says, it isn't by coincidence that the word here is Shav, a swearing, that you're saying this is equal to this, shava equal. And when you say that in Judaism, you're basically saying that there is no individuality. It is pointless, it is useless, because if that bird is that tree, then what's the point of these separate things? That's blasphemous, for everything underneath Shemayim has its own objective. That is unique and is not Shava to something else. That's the prohibition and it makes sense why it's in the Ten Commandments and it's a reminder to us of Rabbi Rukham's call that he had constantly preached, to develop your own talents, your ani, your own individuality, your unique, your different kite, because you're the only one out of all eight billion that can do what you're doing and if God forbid, you say this is this, you're saying these are Shava, these are the same, and you're just mimicking the ways of somebody else. Fall underneath God forbid the prohibition of this umbrella-love of making a useless and pointless Shavuash of.