פרשת יתרו
'ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר | שמות י"ט, ב
And the Bnei Yisroel encamped opposite the mountain
When the Jewish people came to Har Sinai, the Torah uses a singular expression to describe their encampment: ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר.
Rashi explains that Bnei Yisroel were “like one man with one heart.” This great level of unity and brotherly love was why the Torah writes “ויחן - And HE camped,“ to describe the entire nation.
Interestingly, last week, when the Egyptians were chasing after the Jews to capture and bring them back to Egypt, the Torah also employs a singular lashon: “והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם". And Egypt traveled after them. To this Rashi provides a similar explanation – but backwards: “With one heart like one man.”
The Avnei Nezer points out a beautiful idea to be learned from Rashi’s words. There are two types of unity. There are people who dislike each other but are united in a common goal. They only work together to achieve the same end result. If that common goal is removed, they would like nothing more than to stick a knife in each other’s back.
This is the unity of “with one heart, like one man.” In their hearts they share a common goal and that alone united them. But then there is the unity that comes from appreciating people for who they are and uniting with them in a bond of true love.
This is the description of the Jewish people at Sinai. Theirs was an unconditional bond that united them, like one body, with one face, one nose and one mouth – one heart – and because they were united at heart, they merited to receive the Torah. This is what true unity is all about. It’s not working together with someone on a common project. It is feeling like that person is a part of you.
Part and parcel of teaching Torah is teaching and modeling genuine unity amongst Jews.
About the Author: Rabbi Yisroel Meir Rubinfeld
Rabbi Rubinfeld has been in the field of Torah education for over 3 decades and serves as an Executive School Consultant for Torah Umesorah. He provides an array of services to schools across North America, including teacher and principal mentorship, school and curricula evaluations, professional development and parent education.
Rabbi Rubinfeld's expertise includes classroom management and discipline, effective instruction, bullying, cultivating sensitivity in the classroom, impulse disorders (such as ADHD and ODD), and balancing the educational needs of mainstream and special needs children in the classroom.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is the also the founder and director of Torah Umesorah's Lilmod U'Lilamed department which provides professional development for teachers and principals throughout the year.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is a talmid of the distinguished Yeshivos of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.