The purpose of anti-semitism is to unite the Jewish people.
"Behold! the people, the Children of Israel, are more numerous and stronger than we" [Shemot 1:9]
The verse teaches us, said R'Yisrael of Rizhin, that when the Jews act as one people, free of discord and strife, then the nations of the world see them as ''more numerous and stronger'' than themselves and realize that they cannot dominate the Jews.
This can be compared to a father who invited all his children to his home.
When they arrived, they gathered around him.
The father held several thin twigs in his hand. He gave one to each of his children and then asked them to break them.
His children snapped the dry twigs with ease.
The father then passed around a bundle of several twigs. "Now" said the father "please try breaking this bundle." Each one tried to break the bundle but none succeeded.
"You see" said the father "as long as you remain united in the same way that these branches are united, nobody will ever be able to harm you! But if you act divisively and there is disharmony among you, then be aware that a lone individual is as feeble and easily broken as a thin twig."
Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein
Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein
We recite Ana b'Choach with the bracha and tefillot at Omer Count . . . . may HaShem untie our bundled sins . . . . May B'nai Yisrael be bundled in achdus and may our collective sins be released and easily broken. And we mourn the loss of Rabbi Akiva's talmidim. Antisemitism is a lack of respect, talmidim died for lack of respect. When we respect who we are, our Source, our purpose and our fellow Jew, we have achdus. We can judge others with love and favorably out of respect. Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov.
ReplyDeleteI have lately been receiving comments [anonymous of course!] sent here, as they cannot write anonymously on some other blogs. There is no point commenting on this blog when you are writing to a different blogger, we are totally different people and totally different sites. That is why I am not publishing them. I suggest you email the blogger if you cannot comment on their site.
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