One Heart – One People

Nothing is coincidental and especially the prayers we are prescribed to recite as each single word is specific and chosen for a purpose. In the Amida of Shabbat under Kedushat Hayom, ‘Holiness of the Day’, when we ask G-d to be pleased with our day of rest, we entreat Him to continue to bless us with His Commandments and allow us to always merit our share in the Torah. Then in the next sentence we beseech Hashem to “purify our heart to serve” Him sincerely. As I read the words, I realized that although the plural is used throughout, the singular word ‘heart’ is significant. We don’t say “purify our hearts”, rather, “our heart”! We are not simply praying for ourselves or even for our families. Our supplications are on behalf of our entire People as a whole! We are one heart and one collective soul.  It was then that it struck me. This is the message our Heavenly Father is trying to convey to us through all our trials and tribulations. We must stand together as one!

What is a heart? It is our physical lifeline. If the heart fails, the body is not sustained. Each beat tells us that we are alive. It reminds us that Hashem is still giving us an opportunity to grow closer to Him and fulfill our mission in this world. Just as Hashem gave us a heart to keep our bodies functioning, He also bestowed us with our Holy Torah, the spiritual heart of Judaism, with all its laws to nourish our neshamot (souls). It is our supernal guidebook for life. If our heart flutters, skips a beat or is even temporarily disrupted by a heart attack, G-d forbid, as long as it still remains intact we have to ability to strengthen ourselves and get back into shape. Our commandments, together with repentance and prayer, grant our souls the same privilege. There are days we slack off and fail to live up to our obligations, but as long as our hearts are beating, we have the potential to intensify our spiritual pursuits.

Similarly, G-d pumps the lifeblood of our People through His Holy Land, specifically Jerusalem. We see today how the prophecy of the “Ingathering of the Exiles” is occurring before our eyes. “I will bring them, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they will be My People, and I will be their G-d in truth and in righteousness” (Zechariah 8:8). But our vision of Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple, will not materialize as long as we constantly fight with one another. Like a person who is full of anger and criticism causing untold damage to his physical heart, the compounded result of our infighting and bickering pains our Father in Heaven and delays the peace He wants to shower over us. Neither will it come about if we do not keep His Laws.

Since each of us contains a tiny spark of the Almighty within, flames of the Torah and Mitzvot are also part and parcel of our being. By fulfilling small acts of kindness, compassion, forgiveness or other precepts our Creator holds dear, we ignite tiny embers of Hashem within our souls. If G-d is Oneness and unity is oneness, then through the unification of our People via Torah and Mitzvot, we have the capability to illuminate the world with Godliness!

Human beings can virtually attain perfection by bringing corporeality in line with their spiritual selves; an emotional, sympathetic and sensitive heart connected to their souls. If we judge one another based on external trappings alone, we will fail to appreciate the internal core of the individual. Sadly, we tend to unite only in times of upheaval but why can’t we love and respect each other as ourselves when we are not on the brink of disaster? As a Nation, we must make every effort to support one another. Otherwise we will end up destroying the very backbone of our collective being. Just as a fabric is reinforced by using different fibers tightly bound together, our People will also find its strength in cohesion.

We learn that the Hebrew letters of the word ‘Breslev’ can be arranged to spell ‘Lev Basar’, the heart of flesh. This reflects the prophecy as stated in Ezekiel (Yechezkel) (36:26) “I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Rebbe Nachman, may his memory be for a blessing, encouraged sincerity of the heart thereby propelling us to remove the barriers that block our connection to Hashem. With genuine personal prayers we can not only uplift our relationship with the Master of the Universe but also surpass the current status quo and finally unite all of mankind in a lasting and Divine Peace.  May it be His will, soon, in the coming days, amen.