But unique to God's die is the mystery that not one human being resembles another. Each is endowed with its own individuality. Even the most powerful monarch can do no more than forge a die whose content never varies. This nugget of rabbinic theology profoundly expands the universalism inherent in the first chapter of Genesis. It puts forth a view of humanity as encompassing as its view of God.
Every human being is of ultimate worth, equal value and unique individuality.
Despite the destruction of the Temple, the loss of life and property and the ensuing despair, the Mishna did not excise from its statutes its identification with the rest of humanity. In an act of self-transcendence, Judaism tried to prevent national humiliation from compromising its theological universalism. And the validity of that defiant posture is now confirmed for us from the unexpected quarter of the genome project. Dr. Ismar Schorsch is chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, a Jewish university committed to promoting Jewish learning for all, and the academic and spiritual center of Conservative Judaism. The Jewish Theological Seminary grants undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees and offers enriching programs for the Jewish community in the US and around the world.