torah

K’ish Echad b’lev Echad (one people, one heart)

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As B’nei Yisrael embark on the next stage of their national development with the end of their enslavement in Egypt, unity plays a pivitol role in their success.

Having reconnected with Yosef, the brothers, now the tribes, remain united, becoming numerous and strong. But once Yosef died and as a “new king arose” (Shemot 1:9), the stage was set for divisiveness and opportunism. Yet the Torah tells us that Yosef, the first of the brothers to die, personally saw three generations through Ephraim — “vayaar Yosef l’Ephraim bnei shileishim” (Bereishit 50:23).

Although only Yosef is the brother explicitly mentioned in the Torah as knowing his family for three generations, we may assume that all the brothers, the leaders of their eponymous tribes, also personally knew their great grandchildren, because they died after Yosef.

Let’s take this thought experiment one step further. Each brother might influence their own tribe and make certain they stayed true to their tradition and heritage, but they could not necessarily influence the other tribes. Let’s say, G-d forbid, one of the brothers (or his son, or grandson or greatgrandson), decides, “you know what, I want to go out on my own, with new beliefs, customs and ideas.” That would have been the end of the whole enterprise; the building of a nation would have been stillborn!

That is why achdut (unity) is vital to survival and success.

• • •

Unity does not mean conformity. Just as each tribe upon the Exodus had its own flag and banner, position and location in travel and their own mission statement, they pledged to act as one nation, one people, united under Hashem. Chazal tell us that we became a “people,” Am at Har Sinai, when we stood as an am echad “k’ish echad, b’lev echad” (as one man with one heart) (Rashi, quoting the mechilta, Shemot 19:2).

But as this week’s parsha, Shemot, tells us, the first person to call us a “people,” an am, is our enemy, the new Pharaoh (or perhaps an old Pharaoh with new policies) — “Hinei am b’nei Yisrael, rav v’atzum mimenu” (Behold the people, the Children of Israel, are more numerous and stronger than we.”

Just as many declare that this is the first recorded official statement of antisemitism, it should be clear to us that it is the first public recognition of us as one people, one nation, an am.

Of course, our history throughout the Tanach is filled with internal division. We therefore must be vigilant to overcome this all too human behavior.

• • •

Hashem gave us the Torah to guide us, to overcome “natural inclinations or behaviors” — including the inclination to brotherly hatred. As Rabi Akiva taught us, “zeh klal gadol baTorah” (this is the most important principle in the Torah), that will guarantee us survival, strength, success, victory, and ultimate redemption.

This is reinforced in the haftarot of Shemot. Two entirely separate haftarot — the Ashkenazi from sefer Yeshayahu, and the Sefardi from sefer Yirmiyahu. Both hint of a dark future ahead, the loss of the 10 tribes in Isaiah and the loss of Judah and Jerusalem in Jeremiah, which parallels the slavery and persecution in Egypt in our parsha.

But both ultimately refer to Israel in hopeful terms:

“You will be gathered up one by one, O’ Children of Israel” (Isaiah 27:12) and “Israel is holy to Hashem, the first of His crop” (Jeremiah 2:3). “Gathered up one by one” but brought together as “the first of His crop,” in unity and victory.

“Israel is holy to Hashem, the first of His crop; whoever devours it will be held guilty — evil shall come upon them! — these are the words of Hashem.”

Shabbat Shalom 

Dr. Alan A. Mazurek is a retired neurologist, living in Great Neck, Jerusalem and Florida. He is a former chairman of the ZOA. To reach him, write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com