Rabbi Howard Morrison

All of Israel stood as one at Mount Sinai. The parsha tells us "Va'yichan Sham Yisrael Neged Ha'har - Israel encamped there in front of the mountain." Interestingly, the verb for "encamped" is couched in the singular, depicting all of Israel as one body.

In his commentary, Rashi quotes an ancient Midrash: "K'ish echad B'lev echad - like one person with one heart."

While Jewish history has demonstrated diversity in terms of Jewish beliefs and practices throughout the ages, the fact of the matter is, we have always been one people who share the same basic overall values.

During my youth, the famous Rav, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, wrote that while segments of the Jewish community may be divided over what constitutes Jewish destiny, all Jews are united over what constitutes Jewish fate. We know this from eighty plus years ago. We know this from a week ago.

When I learned of the horror which was going on in Colleyville, Texas when I turned on the TV after last Shabbat,  I envisioned myself as the rabbi, and I envisioned our congregants as his congregants inside Congregation Beth Israel.

Miraculously, the hostages came out physically safe. I believe, however, that all Jews are traumatized by what happened. We are now left asking many questions on many levels -  physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

As our parsha teaches us this Shabbat, the Jewish people are truly one body, like "one person with one heart."

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison