Rabbi Corey Helfand
This week’s Torah portion is Nitzavim-Vayelech Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30
In just over a week, Jews around the world will come out in droves to usher in and celebrate the Jewish New Year: family dinners, round challahs, apples dipped in honey, the attention-grabbing sound of the shofar, and of course, a little guilt to go with our repentance. In the year to come, I want to pray for something a little bit different, a new tradition, or perhaps an old one in need of revival: Jewish unity. I’m not necessarily asking that we always agree. But wouldn’t it be nice if 5787 brought with it a real sense that we’re in this together, as Jews, as Jewish community, as Am Yisrael?
In the second of this week’s double portion, Moses reminds the entire community to gather together to listen to the public reading of the Torah. “When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God … you shall read this Teaching aloud in the presence of all Israel. Gather the people — men, women, children, and the strangers in your communities — that they may hear and so learn to revere the Lord your God and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching …” (Deuteronomy 31:11-13).
The Torah emphasizes that Torah and Jewish tradition are multigenerational and accessible to every individual. Additionally, it is incumbent upon the entire Jewish community to join together and become linked through this rich teaching. The true blessing given to us by God is the Torah of unity.
The founder of Hasidic Judaism in the 18th century, the Baal Shem Tov, explains that unity is not necessarily about everyone agreeing, one person with the other, but about connectedness. “How much a Jew needs to be connected to one’s fellow, to love the other and to always cleave to the other so that all of Israel become as one, a person loving one’s fellow and saying ‘Be strong’ to the other. For only by means of connectedness and cleaving one to the other can they reach a high level and accomplish greatness in prayer together” (From Baal Shem Tov’s Otzar Mishle Chassidim). So what does this mean in practice? To this the Baal Shem Tov offers a parable.
There was once a time when the residents of a land in a warmer climate saw a new bird, the likeness of which they had never seen in the entire world, both in beauty and in form, that migrated along with the other birds during the winter. Yet, it was difficult to truly appreciate the bird’s beauty because it rested on the town’s tallest tree. When the king heard the news, he asked all of the people to gather, so that one person could climb on the shoulders of the second and another on top of that person’s shoulders until they reached the treetop. As they climbed higher and higher, one person on the shoulders of the person below, the people at the bottom grew impatient standing and waiting and decided to leave, causing everyone above to fall to the ground. Consequently, the beautiful bird remained a mystery. The king had hoped that each person would assist the other so that together they could reach the treetop. But by having even one person abandon their place, the collective failed.
As we begin the new year, I take to heart the lesson of the Baal Shem Tov and the need to recognize that there is tremendous strength, courage, and wisdom in our standing together, side by side, in unity with our fellow Jews, in Israel and in the Diaspora. In a time of rising antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred, it’s time that we stand up and stick together. Whether it’s performing mitzvot, leaning into our Jewish values and Torah teachings, let’s embrace and be proud of our Jewish identity, standing together, as a connected and supportive community, proud of our Jewishness and love of Israel, people and place alike. Who knows, in doing so, we might actually be able to reach the heights of love and unity, wholeness and peace for all of humanity.
Rabbi Corey Helfand is the rabbi at Ohr Kodesh Congregation in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
