שֶׂה פְזוּרָה יִשְׂרָאֵל, נִמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשֶׂה, מַה שֶּׂה הַזֶּה לוֹקֶה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ אוֹ בְּאֶחָד מֵאֵבָרָיו וְכָל אֵבָרָיו מַרְגִּישִׁין, כָּךְ הֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶחָד מֵהֶן חוֹטֵא וְכֻלָּן מַרְגִּישִׁין
"Israel are scattered sheep" - why are Israel likened to a sheep? Just as a sheep, when hurt on its head or some other body part, all of its body parts feel it. So it is with Israel when one of them sins and everyone feels it.
תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחָאי, מָשָׁל לִבְנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין בִּסְפִינָה נָטַל אֶחָד מֵהֶן מַקְדֵּחַ וְהִתְחִיל קוֹדֵחַ תַּחְתָּיו, אָמְרוּ לוֹ חֲבֵרָיו מַה אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹשֶׂה, אָמַר לָהֶם מָה אִכְפַּת לָכֶם לֹא תַחְתִּי אֲנִי קוֹדֵחַ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ שֶׁהַמַּיִם עוֹלִין וּמְצִיפִין עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַסְּפִינָה.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught a parable: Men were on a ship. One of them took a drill and started drilling underneath him. The others said to him: What are sitting and doing?! He replied: What do you care. Is this not underneath my area that I am drilling?! They said to him: But the water will rise and flood us all on this ship.
וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה, זֶה חָכָם, שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ הֲלָכוֹת וּמִדְרָשׁוֹת וְאַגָּדוֹת, וְיָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה הוֹלְכִין אֶצְלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה דִּין בֵּינֵיהֶן, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לָהֶן עָסוּק אֲנִי בְּמִשְׁנָתִי אֵינִי פָּנוּי, וְאָמַר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עָלֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ הֶחֱרַבְתָּ אֶת הָעוֹלָם, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת יֶהֶרְסֶנָה.
"A person who separates himself destroys the world." (Proverbs 29:4)
This refers to a sage who knows the laws, their interpretations and derivations, and substantive and ethical tales, but when a widow and orphan come to him to decide their case, he says, "I am busy with my Torah-study. I have no free time." The Lord says to him, "I consider this as though you have destroyed the world."
This is the meaning of the verse, "A person who separates himself, destroys the world."
אם היתה נטיעה בתוך ידך ויאמרו לך ״הרי לך המשיח״, בוא ונטע את הנטיעה ואחר כך צא והקבילו.
Avot d'Rabbi Natan 31b
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai used to say: If you have a sapling in your hand, and someone should say to you that the Messiah has come, stay and complete the planting and then go greet the Messiah.
Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Insecurity of Freedom
Freedom means more than mere emancipation. It is primarily freedom of conscience, bound up with inner allegiance. The danger begins when freedom is thought to consist of the fact that "I can act as I desire." This definition not only overlooks the compulsions which often lie behind our desires; it reveals the tragic truth that freedom may develop within itself the seed of its own destruction. The will is not an ultimate and isolated entity, but determined by motives beyond its own control.