By the Grace of G-d
Dear Esther,
Do you agree with the following statement?
Two or more people working on a project is better than one.
The Torah does.
A deeper reading into the following verse from this week’s parsha gives us the reason why.
Arm from among you righteous men for the army, that they can do battle against Midian, and carry out the revenge of God against Midian
Who is this Midian, G-d’s ‘enemy’ that we need to take ‘revenge’ for?
Or to phrase it differently, what does Midian do or represent that G-d finds so unacceptable?
In one word: disunity.
G-d ‘loves’ unity. Divisiveness is abhorrent to G-d.
Midian can be reread as the Hebrew word that denotes strife-quarrel-bitter disagreement. (Madon, uMerivah).
G-d is the absolute paradigm of Unity.
As we recite twice daily in the ‘Shma Yisrael’: Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One – Hashem Echad.
Simply put, G-d’s presence resides where there is unity. In a situation where there is infighting and quarreling, G-d considers it offensive and does not rest His Shechina (holy presence) there.
It is not always so easy to get along with others. It requires investment and effort.
In a world that looks for shortcuts and ‘hacks’ some people may be thinking that they can overcome the effort needed to coexist and have teamwork with others if they simply stick to themselves without cooperating with others.
Autocracy would seem like a way to make sure there is no divisiveness. Who would fight with their own self? It may seem tempting to employ this shortcut to ruling out disunity. Simply having no one else in the picture.
In this mistaken way of thinking, working solo will enable you to have ‘unity’ (or at least not disharmony). G-d’s blessing will thus be upon you.
Good try. But missing a very important piece of the puzzle.
The blessing of Hashem comes only where there are separate parts, differing entities that come together in unity. Only when the harmony is created by bringing together differing components, does the blessing reside.
Bringing people together in collaboration is the greatest vehicle for G-d’s presence and blessing.
Every one of us has a ‘piece of G-d’ inside of us.
The act of joining two ‘pieces of G-d’ together to jointly do something positive creates a ‘chemical (G’dly) reaction’ of the fusion and amalgamating of two as they unite into one. This invites G-d’s omnipotent energy into the endeavor.
There is another important thing to consider.
We each have a good voice inside of us and a negative voice.
Have you ever encountered something you wanted to do or eat but deep down you knew that you shouldn’t?
One voice says ‘indulge’ even if it’s the wrong thing.
The other voice says, ‘be mature and resist the temptation’.
Or one voice says ‘help your friend who is struggling’.
While the other voice says, ‘why do you have to give of your own time and resources to help someone else’.
When we discuss our dilemma with someone else, we have the best possible chance to come to the right decision. There is a component to this equation that leads to a winning and blessed outcome.
When collaborating with your fellow about a moral choice, (and almost every decision in our life has moral implications, as we are to serve Hashem with every aspect of our lives), you are pitting two ‘good voices’ against one ‘negative voice’.
‘Two Yezer Tov’s against one Yetzer Hara’.
What?
How does that make sense.
We know that our own personal battle between our ‘internal voices’ is a balanced one. Which means that our good is pitted evenly against our negative. The way you can be sure of this is because we all know from personal experience that it’s (sometimes, or more often that sometimes) a struggle to make the right choice.
If two people get together why would that balance change.
Wouldn’t it still be an evenly pitched battle? With two good inclinations up against two negative inclinations?
Listen to this transformational answer.
Our inner voice of negativity is the voice of ego and selfishness. It truly cares nothing about someone else. It is totally self-absorbed and does not see anyone else or care about anyone else. It doesn’t even give a hoot if your friend does the wrong thing or the right thing.
Whereas one’s good inclination cares very much about other people. It desperately wants you to be good and everyone else to be good.
(Perhaps this is a good example to help understand this point.
As teenagers we make the mistake that our friends who we have fun with are our TRUE friends.
Our parents and family who ‘nudge’ us and restrict us from having ‘fun’ don’t truly care about us.
When you ask your teenage ‘friends’ for their advice, they are likely thinking about what is better for them.
When you ask your parents (in the classic paradigm of loving and responsible and emotionally-healthy parents) for their advice, you can be sure that they are thinking very much about what is best for you).
Two people getting together is thus two ‘pieces of G-d’ against one negative inclination.
The blessing of that union is the catalyst and generator of receiving G-d’s blessing of success and goodliness.
This message cannot be over emphasized.
We are almost two thousand years in exile because we had unwarranted hatred.
Reasons for destruction of Bet Hamikdash
The antidote is radical, unwarranted, unearned LOVE.
This will bring us Mashiach.
Shabbat Shalom,
Chodesh Tov
Rabbi Yosef Kantor
PS. based on the Rebbe’s call to implement the words of Yeshayahu (Isaah) the prophet, Zion is redeemed through the study of Torah and its captives through charitable deeds’ by adding in Torah study, Prayer and Charitable acts of Kindness during this mourning period, we are hosting a week long ‘Project Torah’ at Bet Elisheva as per below details.