Why Unity Is So Important
By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah
Klal Yisrael always begins the reading of Chumash Devarim during the 3 weeks between Shiva Assar B’Tammuz and Tisha Ba’av, when we mourn the loss of the Beis Hamikdash and yearn to get it back. This is only part of the avoda of these weeks, however. The sages (Yoma Yerushalmi 1:1) state that “a generation in which the Beis Hamikdash is not rebuilt is as if the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed in its time.” Meaning, in addition to mourning, we should examine our ways to see what we can correct to get the Beis Hamikdash back. Indeed, the Midrash states openly that the mourning of this period is for the Beis Hamikdash and the sins that caused it (Eichah Rabba 32:1).
The sages (Yoma 9b) record what these sins were: In the period of the first Beis Hamikdash, the nation committed the three cardinal sins for which a Jew must give his life to avoid: bloodshed, idolatry and immorality. In the period of the second Beis Hamikdash, the sin was sinas chinam (unjustified hatred).
The Maharal (Netzach Yisrael 4) asks, why is it that only during the period of the first Beis Hamikdash was the yetzer hara for the three cardinal sins what brought about the destruction, but from then on and down to our times, the yetzer hara that leaves us without the Beis Hamikdash is that of sinas chinam?
The Maharal answers that in the first Beis Hamikdash, the Shechina was present. There was prophecy; fire descended from Heaven to accept the nation’s offerings, and the smoke that rose from the mizbe’ach was never swayed by the wind (see Yoma 9b and 21b). For there to be such an awesome revelation of Hashem, there had to be a powerful yetzer hara working against this. This yetzer hara was what brought Jews to transgress the three cardinal sins. These sins brought upon them tremendous impurity and the Shechina could no longer dwell among them. Therefore, the Beis Hamikdash had no place anymore and had to be destroyed.
By contrast, in the second Beis Hamikdash, there no longer was prophecy, the Shechina was not present and no fires descended from Heaven to accept offerings (ibid.). With no divine revelation there, the Beis Hamikdash now served to unite the nation in service of Hashem. Therefore, the yetzer hara of this period did not have the power to incite Jews to transgress the three cardinal sins, but it was able to undermine the nation’s unity. Since unity was the entire purpose of the second Beis Hamikdash, once this was lost, we no longer merited the Beis Hamikdash and it had to be destroyed.
Not only the Beis Hamikdash depends on unity. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz notes that in many ways, the blessings we receive come from our attachment to Klal Yisrael. This unity was a condition for our receiving the Torah (Shmos 19:2, Ohr Hachaim), that we be “like one man with one heart.” This unity enabled even less worthy individuals such as Dassan and Aviram to receive manna in the desert in the merit of the Klal, whereas the righteous Yehoshua bin Nun — when he left the machaneh in order to wait for Moshe Rabbeinu at Har Sinai — needed a special merit for the manna to come to him (see Yoma 76a).
The sages formulated our tefillos in the plural form. We pray that Hashem give us wisdom, healing, livelihood, etc. Even when a person sets out alone on a journey, the Wayfarer’s Prayer that he says is written in the plural form. By praying for the needs of the klal together with our personal needs, this gives our prayers more strength.
This idea finds expression in Tanach as well, such as when the prophet Elisha asked his host, the woman from Shunam, if she wanted special assistance with anything, and she replied, “I dwell among my people” (Melachim II 4:13). Meaning, since I am within Klal Yisrael, my blessings will come from my attachment to the nation, and this is a more certain form of blessing than anything I could receive privately. For us as well, Rav Shmuelevitz would say that siyatta deShemaya is achieved more easily if we make ourselves more a part of the klal. Gaining siyatta deShemaya on our merits alone is much harder.
How can we make ourselves more part of the Klal?
Look for little things to do to help our fellow Jews, even those who are very different from us. The sages say that when faced with a choice to help either a friend or one we dislike, we should give preference to the one we dislike, because “it is better for a Jew to combat his evil inclination” (Bava Metzia 32b). Small but consistent efforts on our part to help our fellow Jews will instill in us a sense of unity and strengthen our connection to Klal Yisrael. Even a matter as simple as undertaking to smile to people — if we do this for one person, another and still another, we will become more part of the Klal.
The Arizal instructed that before davening, one should say that he is about to fulfill the mitzvah of loving his fellow Jew as himself. This will cause him to pray for all of Klal Yisrael. When doing a mitzvah, he would advise to say first: “I am doing this mitzvah for the merit of all Klal Yisrael.” One who follows these instructions certainly attaches himself to the Klal.
Harav Moshe Yechiel Epstein, the Ozrover Rebbe, was a brilliant Torah scholar and voluminous author (despite the fact that he was blind in one eye, and had only 20 percent vision in the other). His ahavas Yisrael was legendary. Jews of all stripes would come to him, and when they told him of their difficulties he would often cry. Before davening for these people, he would first prepare himself, groaning in pain as he truly felt their suffering.
At times, his chassidim would note in distress that among his visitors were Jews who were active in movements that were causing harm to Klal Yisrael. “How can I refuse them if they come to me?” he would reply, adding that he had received a tradition from the Chozeh of Lublin that to fulfill the mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael, one must have love for all Jews.
The Ozrover Rebbe worked particularly hard to bring harmony among Jews. He would often mention the Medrash (Bereishis Rabba 98:2) that the key to the final redemption is bringing Jews together and strengthening our unity.
May we become more a part of Klal Yisrael!