Essential Jewish Unity

     In Parshat Yitro, the Torah describes the scene at Mt. Sinai (19:2): וַיִּֽחַן־שָׁ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נֶ֥גֶד הָהָֽר “and Israel encamped there opposite the mountain”. The Hebrew word “encamped” is written in the singular even though it refers to a multitude of people. This leads Rashi to comment: כאיש אחד בלב אחד “as one man with one heart”.

      Rashi makes a similar comment in last week’s Parsha. After Bnai Yisrael leave Egypt the Torah states (14:10) וְהִנֵּ֥ה מִצְרַ֣יִם | נֹסֵ֣עַ אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם “the Egyptians were advancing after them”. Here the Hebrew word for “advancing” is written in the singular even though it refers to a large contingent of Egyptians.

      This leads Rashi to comment: בלב אחד כאיש אחד “with one heart as one man.” While it seems that Rashi is expressing the same sentiment in both places, Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner notes that the phrasing is different in each comment. When referring to the Jews, Rashi says that they acted “as one man with one heart”, but when referring to the Egyptians, Rashi says that they acted “with one heart, as one man.” Rav Hutner explains that the wording is precise, and the difference is making a point about the difference between these two nations. The Jewish People are one entity, one organism. Unity is an essential quality and characteristic of our nation. This sense of unity is supposed to exist and define us even when Jews have different opinions, different priorities, or act differently. The Jewish nation is always “as one man”. The entire nation is sometimes compared to a single organism. What was remarkable at Mt. Sinai was that in addition to that essential quality of unity, the Jewish People were also unified in their desire to receive the Torah. The Jews were not always “of one heart” during their time in the wilderness. Rashi comments that at Mt. Sinai the Jews were “as one man with one heart” because it was more common for the Jews to disagree and quarrel: אבל שאר כל החניות בתרעומת ובמחלוקת, “but all the other encampments were [divided] with complaints and with strife” (Mechilta).

      In contrast to this essential Jewish unity, the Egyptians were generally not unified in any endeavors. Ego, agendas and greed led Egyptians to normally act alone and in a selfish manner. In Parshat Beshalach the Torah lets the reader know that at the Yam Suf the Egyptians put aside their differences for a common goal. Due to their hatred of Bnai Yisrael, they were able to momentarily put aside their differences in order to act on a shared goal. There is no essential unity that holds the Egyptians together; it’s rather a pragmatic, short-lived unity. This is why Rashi states the Egyptian unity as “with one heart, as one man”.

      Last Motzei Shabbat I got home after our Veshinantam Parent/Child Learning to hear the news of the hostage situation at the synagogue in Texas. We are grateful that the situation was resolved in a way that all of the hostages were unharmed physically. After the situation was resolved, there were some reports making their way around the internet and social media that made accusations about the political views (both foreign and domestic) of the Rabbi who was taken hostage (and who has been credited with helping to resolve the situation). The notion that differences lessen our sense of empathy, caring and concern for others is only true about the Egyptians, not about us Jews. Am Yisrael possesses a basic sense of unity that transcends all other differences. In today’s highly politicized and polarized world, it would serve us well to internalize and reinforce Rashi’s lesson that when it comes to us Jews כאיש אחד בלב אחד is our value and the mantra by which we should live.