Rabbi Mordechai WilligJewish Unity

There were thirteen breeches in the wall (the soreig), made by the kings of Greece. The kohanim repaired them, and enacted thirteen bowings opposite them (Mishna Middos 2:3). What do these thirteen breeches and their repair symbolize?

The numerical value of echad, one, is thirteen. The Greeks hoped to divide and conquer, to destroy our unity and, thereby, our spirituality. In Yerushalyaim, the eternal city in which we are to become friends with one another (Yerushalmi Chagiga 3:6), our enemies sought to sow disunity in our midst. The thirteen breeches in the walls in the Bais Hamikdash represent their attempt to poke holes in the wall of Jewish unity which is essential to our physical and spiritual survival.

When the miracles of Chanuka occurred and the Bais Hamikdash was rededicated, it was critical to restore Jewish unity. By bowing thirteen times to Hashem, we develop a proper sense of humility before Him. This eliminates the arrogance that often leads to irreconcilable feuds, and repairs the divisiveness symbolized by the thirteen breeches.

The afterglow of Chanuka, which celebrates our victory over the Greeks, demands greater focus on this elusive goal. On the last day of Chanuka we read of the menorah, whose candles symbolize Torah scholars and laymen. Only by their combined effort, symbolized by the menorah being made from one piece of gold, can Hashem's wishes be fulfilled (Sforno, Bamidbar 8:2).

Parshas Vayigash which always follows Chanuka, describes the reunification of Yosef and his brothers. This repaired the paradigmatic interpersonal sin, the first breech in the wall of the House of Yaakov. The haftora continues this theme. The ultimate redemption will reunify the kingdoms of Yehuda and Yosef which split in the days of Yerovam ben Nevat; we will all be led, successively, by leaders of Yosef and Yehuda (Malbim Yechezkel 37:19,20). The willingness to be led by a different shevet will begin with Yehuda and be completed by Yosef, just as the reconciliation of the brothers in the parsha.

A week after Chanuka we observe Asara B'Teves, when the siege of Yerushalayim began. Zecharia is told that the fasts will become holidays of joy and happiness, but only if we love truth and peace (Zecharia 8:19, Radak). We must balance our passionate devotion to the timeless truth of Torah with a powerful love and incessant pursuit of peace.

Unfortunately, we are witness to vicious disputes within families and communities, despite the fact that the protagonists are sometimes excessively humble in bowing before Hashem. This phenomenon, which borders on cognitive dissonance, is illustrated by a story my father z"l was fond of retelling.

A visitor on Yom Kippur overheard the person next to him in shul adding to the confession in Shachris. Each time he pounded his heart and said Ashamnu, we have sinned, etc., he would tearfully add "I am nothing." Imagine the visitor's surprise when, shortly thereafter, this same person was called to the Torah and berated the gabbai furiously: "How dare you give me revi'i, an aliya unbefitting my honor"? When the person returned to his seat, the visitor asked him "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear your tearful confession of your nothingness. Why, then, were you so upset at the gabbai?" The person responded "I may be a nothing, but the fellow called to the Torah before me was a bigger nothing!"

In many cases, each side is convinced of the exclusive truth of its position. Usually there is some truth to both sides. Refusal to acknowledge this reality can tear apart families tragically. As members of a wise and discerning nation (D'varim 4:6) we should know better.

Sometimes, the very strength of our devotion to Hashem can lead to war instead of peace. When we bow before Hashem and serve Him passionately in our own way, we must realize that other ways of service are also legitimate (Meishiv Davar I, 44). Demeaning other groups or sub-groups and their Torah leadership in the name of Hashem is a jihad which causes terrible divisions and chilul Hashem. Passion must be mediated by an equivalent emphasis on peace and harmony. Reconciliation, reunification and redemption require recognition that an estranged brother, a different community and a leader from a different group deserve our respect and occasional submission.

The Chasam Sofer (siddur, commenting on selichos) teaches that on Asara B'Teves the heavenly judgment concerning our redemption in the upcoming year is rendered. May our dedication to the themes of truth and peace found in the parsha and the haftora, implied in the victory of Chanuka and demanded in the prophecy of Zecharia, lead to Hashem's decision to redeem us this year.