In the last two weeks, Jews around the world have united to help our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael. We’ve helped with housing, clothing and food for the grieving families and the thousands who have been displaced from Israel’s southern borders. We’ve raised millions of dollars for Israel, and sent food and care packages to the soldiers. We’ve launched campaigns for lighting extra Shabbos candles, saying special Tehillim and putting on tzitzis. We are united in our grief … and our determination. Each Jew feels responsible for his fellow Jew.

The terrorists brutally assaulted thousands of Jewish men, women, and children and have murdered and taken hostage well over a thousand, including infants and holocaust survivors. Secular or religious—all Jews are the same to them. They killed them simply because they are Jewish. The same has happened to us periodically throughout the ages.

In Parshas Noach, the people gathered together with a common goal. They united to build a city and tower to “wage war with Hashem.” Hashem said, “Hava neiredah venavelah sham sefasam—Let’s go down and confuse their language.” Essentially, Hashem sabotaged their construction/rebellion plan by creating 70 languages, so it was then extremely difficult to communicate with each other. The resulting chaos ended their mission.

However, the Gemara Yerushalmi states that the people were divided by language even before they started to build the great tower! Rav Shimon Schwab brings proof to this from the fact that prior to the story of Dor HaFlagah (the Generation of Division) the Torah said “l’mishpechosam lilshonosam—according to their families and languages.” Clearly, they had different languages even before Hashem caused them to disband.

Rav Schwab explains that their common mission in rebelling against Hashem superseded their language problem, enabling them to communicate without necessarily using words. The people united with a common goal of freeing themselves from Hashem.

Nonetheless, Hashem sabotaged their plan by “coming down.” Hashem came down and made the people more aware of His presence. Their common goal of rebellion was due to their lack of connection to Hashem. When the Almighty came down, their new awareness of Hashem caused their strong agenda to wither; silent communication no longer worked. Hashem divided the nations of the world not just in their language, but also in their agendas.

The Jewish people today are blessed to be united at its core. Although Jews from different countries might speak different languages, they are one nation in terms of their deeply caring for one another.

Rav Avraham Schorr notes that this Sunday is the seventh of Cheshvan, which usually falls out close to Parshas Noach. Jews in Eretz Yisrael will start requesting rain in their Shemoneh Esrei, switching from saying “v’sein bracha” to “v’sein tal umatar livracha.” Yet, the Mishnah says that the right time to request rain in Eretz Yisrael is immediately after Sukkos. Why the delay?

The Rabbanan delayed starting the request for rain to allow the Jews who lived far away from the Beis Hamikdash to return home after Sukkos, before the rainy season started. Some had a 15-day trip to get home! Therefore, the request for rain was delayed until the seventh of Cheshvan. Amazing! The entire Eretz Yisrael delayed asking for much needed rain so that a minority of Jewish travelers would not get stuck in a rainstorm.

The seventh of Cheshvan is also the yahrzeit of the great Rav Meir Shapiro, the founder of Daf Yomi. His goal was to unite Jews around the world by having all of them learn the same page of Gemara each day. Torah … unites!

Indeed, the Jewish nation became truly united at Har Sinai, when Hashem gave us the Torah. Hashem spoke out the Aseres Hadibros (Ten Commandments) in 70 languages; our current differences in language do not cause a separation among us because we are united at our core. We are all, together, the nation chosen by Hashem to receive His Torah and mitzvos.

Unfortunately, nations of the world sometimes need to remind us just how “one” the Jewish nation is, despite our many differences. Let us keep uniting to help our fellow Jews in whatever way we can. Some can help with housing, others with supplies, prayer and Torah learning—each in their own way. At all times, we should treat each other with kindness and pursue shalom, peace. Also, every word of Torah we learn strengthens the core of our unity. May Hashem see the uniting of our nation, safely return those abducted and protect the Jewish people in their struggles.

Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim is the associate rosh yeshiva of Passaic Torah Institute (PTI)/Yeshiva Ner Boruch. Rabbi Bodenheim can be reached at [email protected]. For more info about PTI and its Torah classes, visit www.pti.shulcloud.com