CREATING PEACE AND HARMONY IN A FRACTURED WORLD

Are human beings naturally inclined to living alone or to being part of a community? Do we seek to belong to something beyond ourselves?

This week’s Torah reading begins with with the words “And Moses assembled... the children of Israel”. Moses achieved something unique by creating a united community representing millions of Jews. Not an easy task by anyone’s estimation.

How did Moses do it? What is the secret formula to uniting such a multitude of individuals?

In order to answer this question we must first ask ourselves; who is Moses? What trait captures the essence of this great man?

The answer in one word is “humility”. But what is “humility” you may ask?

The mystics describe it as follows: When life is not about what others can do for you but what you can do for others.

Who can galvanize and bring together different people from diverse backgrounds? Who can inspire people to move beyond themselves and become part of a cause greater then themselves?

Simply put, only a human being who has no ulterior motives or personal agendas. His or her only aim is to serve their people by inspiring them to take a journey beyond their comfort zones. A journey where each and every individual is challenged to see their individuality as a vital and integral part of a community that transcends the separate parts.

The mystics say, there’s a little bit of Moses inside every one of us. It is therefore within the capacity of each and every one of us to “build communities”. We must all see it as our life’s mission, to create peace and harmony in a fractured world by “bringing peace between man and his fellow”.

This might seem to be at times an impossible task.

The truth is the reverse. For at the core of every human being is a soul that more than anything else seeks peace and harmony.