Kahane on the Parsha
Rabbi Binyamin Kahane- Parshat
Yitro
IS UNITY ALWAYS GOOD???
So much is heard these days on
the need to be united. Indeed, "unity" has become a major buzzword in
the mouths of those Jews who seek solutions to the problems plaguing us. If
only we were united, they say, we would overcome our enemies, live in peace- even
bring the redemption. Even the most outspoken and uncompromising types talk of
unity as an elixir that would solve all our problems. And so the question that
must be asked is: Is it true? Is unity really the cure-all?
In Parshat Yitro, we find a rare
moment of unity among the Jewish people. The Torah writes about the moment they
arrived at Mt. Sinai: "And Israel encamped near the mountain." The
Rabbis, noting that the word "encamped" is written in singular form
("VaYichan"), tell us they encamped "as one man, as one
heart."
What an awesome moment!!! The
Jewish people are standing at Mt. Sinai about to receive G-d's Law, and the
Torah reveals to us that this particular moment was unlike any other. This time
there were no quarrels, no bickering. Everyone was united around one idea, one
goal.
But there is a tremendous
difference between this unity at the foot of Mt. Sinai and the unity that
so-called leaders of today babble about. For the question isn't whether unity
is good or bad, but rather: What cause are you uniting around?
G-d dispersed the generation of
the Tower of Bavel because they were united for evil. Therefore, despite their
unity they were branded the "Dor Haflaga"- the generation of
"splitting" or "schism." Their unity revolved around an
evil purpose. It was a unity of wicked people, who "split" or
separated from G-d.
In other words, unity of the
wicked is bad. As our Rabbis state, "The scattering of the wicked is good
for them and good for the world" (Sanhedrin 72a). Uniting for evil
purposes is abhorrent to G-d.
Leaders and scholars should pay
heed to the words they speak. By preaching unity in such loose terms, they
mislead the nation. Every unity has its limits- it MUST BE for the doing of
good.
Darka Shel Torah, 1994
Shabbat Shalom!
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