A Soulful Journey

The lulav and etrog are likened to four types of Jew-the good and the learned, the good but not learned, the learned but not good, and neither is the learned nor the good. And just as the four species are bound together so the four types of species form one unit, one people. We are, and always will be, one.

19th century sociologist Emil Durkheim formulated: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Mordecai Kaplan, a great influential Jewish thinker of the 20th century, drawing from Durkheim and Talmud expounded: God is experienced when we see the world as Whole, recognizing marvel and order of universe (word meaning “uni”/one and “versus”/turning = turning as One). We note God when we witness the orderly movement of the universe.  - Rick Sherwin

"Hear O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is One. But we Thy people are twain, and therefore undone!" -Israel Zangwill Perhaps the greatest achievement we can aspire to is while having different opinions, to allow others to hold fast to their beliefs without disowning them.

God, help me forge a oneness— between myself and others; between myself and my spouse; between myself and my children. Help me forge a oneness of the many selves within me. Help me become one with You. -Rebbe Nachman in The Gentle Weapon Let this be us.

Ashmodai brought before King Solomon a man with two heads.  The father had died and left the two-headed man and his siblings a large inheritance.  King Solomon was to determine whether this man was two people and due for a larger portion or one person. Solomon said, 'Let boiling water be poured over the head.'  If the the other head did not complain it was a sign that these were two separate people.  If , however, the second head objected it would mean it was one person.  -Midrash The same is true of the Jewish nation.  We have many heads.  They are scattered throughout the world and speak in many languages.  There are times when we wonder whether all these heads belong to the same body; whether we have anything in common.  These doubts disappear when pain is inflicted on one of us.  All the others immediately feel the impact and react. We are one.