Jews, Assemble!

We are a nation of miracles.

David Ben Gurion said, “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”

This miraculous-ness extends to daily life. Three times a day we offer thanks to God “al nisecha she’b’chol yom imanu – for the miracles that are with us every day.” All of life is wondrous.

The Book of Shemot is full of miracles – the plagues, the Exodus, the splitting of the seas, Sinai, but there is one miracle that, for me, stands out.

“Vayakhel Moshe et kol adat Bnei Yisrael – Moshe assembled the entire nation of Israel.” (Shemot 35:1)

There were some 600,000 Jewish men of fighting age. Add in the women, children, and retirees, and there were two to three million Jews in the desert. That is a giant community! I find it hard enough to travel with four kids, and Moshe guided a congregation of millions!

I often marvel at large gatherings for religious purposes. In its heyday, the AIPAC Policy Conference drew 18,000 pro-Israel activists together in common purpose. Shabbat Across America was designed to focus worldwide efforts on Jewish engagement on one specific date to maximize the number of Jews celebrating Shabbat together. I’m a little jealous of the mega-churches who draw 20,000 worshippers each Sunday.

But it’s not only about numbers. There is value in assembling – and being counted – as part of one Jewish community. Vayakhel Moshe. At a critical moment in the Jewish nation’s development, Moshe declared that kehillah, Jewish community, is key.

Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein notes the timing of Moshe’s call to the entire nation to assemble. It takes place after the sin of the Golden Calf nearly tore the nation apart. In its aftermath, brother literally killed brother, the nation was distanced from God, and the people’s relationship with Moshe was fractured.

“On the threshold of Am Yisrael's undertaking of its historic mission, Moshe sensed that because of the rift which had opened up between him and his nation…there was a desperate need to connect once again, to bridge the gaps. Therefore he gathered everyone together, not just to give them the command to construct the tabernacle, by which God would once again dwell among them, but to ensure that he and they, disappointed leader and disappointed nation, would begin to dwell together once again.”

When the going gets tough, we find solace, purpose, and direction in assembling as a community.

It is hard to bring Jews together.

Rachel Sharansky Danziger, the daughter of Natan Sharansky, recounted how a neighbor once said to her father, “Life was good when you were in prison. Before the Iron Curtain fell and Soviet Jews were free to emigrate, Jews were united.”

Rachel asked Natan, what can unite Jews today? Natan Sharansky responded that, during the fight for Soviet Jewry, there was one common enemy. There was plenty of division between different groups working on behalf of Soviet Jewry. The Jewish community doesn’t easily unify. At the same time, the community needs to see itself as part of one destiny, one family.

Today, Jews have enemies. Especially since October 7, we are more aware than ever before who are enemies are. But do we have community? Do we see ourselves as part of one kehillah? Until recently, there were some issues for which Jews seemed to share a consensus – the Shoah, antisemitism, Israel. Today, antisemitism is politicized and, sadly, some Jews join our enemies to falsely accuse Israel of genocide. It is hard to feel that Jews remain all connected.

Now, more than ever, we need to remember Vayakhel Moshe - the call, the duty, the mitzvah to assemble and uncover our sense of community. We will not succeed in agreeing with one another, but we need to open our hearts widely enough to make room for as many voices and views as possible.

I thought about this challenge while attending, for the second year in a row, a gathering called “Zionism: A New Conversation.” 125 rabbis from different denominations came together to study, learn, and listen. If two Jews have three opinions, how many views do 125 rabbis have?

While love of Israel is part and parcel of who we are, that is not true for everyone. It can be easy to dismiss or ignore Jews struggling with their Zionism and relationship with Israel. Our first instinct may be to argue with them or distance ourselves from them. Vayakhel Moshe reminds us that the most important response is to double down on seeing all Jews as part of the community. We need to radiate love of Judaism and love Israel. That is how we find common ground even in disagreement.

When the going gets tough, Jews need to come together. Vayakhel Moshe was the first call for Jews to assemble in difficult times. No matter how far apart we seem, there is always something that links Jews together. We just need to lean into that commonality and not let what divides us separate us. There is no guarantee we’ll get along or change the opinions of those with whom we disagree, but we must rise to the challenge of assembling as a community that tries to love and support each other.

No matter what.