What's Wrong with a Monument? The Sanhedrin, the 71-member Jewish supreme court, sat in a chamber in the temple. The Torah, therefore, in the book of Exodus, juxtaposes the commandment to build an altar with the commandment of civil law. And then, in the book of Deuteronomy, the Torah tells us to “You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself in all your cities”, and then warns against placing a monument instead of an altar: And you shall not set up for yourself a monument, which the Lord, your God hates. (16:22) Rash explains that, unlike an altar, which is made of many stones, the monument is one stone: A monument of one stone, to sacrifice on it even to Heaven. Why would there be a difference between a monument and a stone? Rashi explains that indeed there is no inherent difference; the reason a monument was prohibited is simple because the pagans would offer sacrifices on monuments: Which [the Lord your God] hates. God has commanded you to make an altar of stones and an altar of earth. This, however, He hates, because this was a [religious] statute of the Canaanites, and although it was dear to Him in the days of the Patriarchs, now He hates it, since these [people] made it a statute for idolatry. Later commentaries offer insight into the deeper significance of the difference between a monument and an altar. Rabbi Shamshom Repahel Hirsh explains that a single stone represents nature without the input of human effort and creativity. The pagans celebrate a monument because they serve nature, whereas the Torah’s guiding principle is free choice, our connection to G-d and the fate of the world we live in, is dependent on people's actions, ethical behavior, and choices. Chassidic commentaries offer a different perspective: the altar of many stones symbolizes community and connection. When we come before G-d, we must connect with other people, creating an altar of many “stones”. The monument of one stone represents a person who feels independent, one who feels that he can achieve spiritual growth on his own. The commandment to create an alter specifically from many stones reminds us that we need to connect to others, being open to learning and becoming enriched by the connection to them. We hope through this connection to others, to escape the gravitational pull of the ego, transcend ourselves, and experience joy, awareness and love that we wouldn't be able to produce on our own. Perhaps we can circle back to the juxtaposition of the altar to the Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme court). The application and correct understanding of the word of G-d is ultimately achieved not through a monument, a voice of one exceptionally brilliant scholar, or an enlightened prophet. Instead, the voice of the Torah comes through the alter-like Sanhedrin, which incorporates multiple voices and perspectives. The law follows, not the greatest scholar but rather the majority opinion reached after discussion and debate. The law follows not the lone “monument” voice, but the majority reached through shared deliberation. In this way, the Sanhedrin becomes an altar of many stones, many voices, forming one sacred whole.