Choose Peace

The Medrash Bamidbar Rabbah (3) relates that at the time of Mattan Torah Hashem descended with His entourage of malachim who were divided into four camps, carrying flags. When the Jewish nation saw that vision, they too wanted flags dividing them into camps like the malachim.

Hashem said to them: You have a desire for banners? By My life I promise I will fulfill your request. And Hashem told Moshe: Make the flags that they want.

The Zera Shimshon asks: Why did the Jewish people want the flags?

He explains that when everyone knows their place there is no conflict, only peace, as it says (Shemos 18:23), “All the nation will come to its place in peace.”

We find that there are no disputes or controversies among the angels, because they have their flags. The Jewish people also wanted flags, so that each tribe would recognize their own place, their own boundaries, and there would always be peace among them.

That is what was so apparent to Bilaam when he saw that each member of the Jewish people was dwelling with his own tribe. He understood that when there is peace among them, then no harm can come to the Jewish people. Such peace can exist when everyone has his own place.

When the Satan intercedes, he is only successful when there is conflict, when everyone is confused and doesn’t know his place. In fact, at the time of the sin of the Golden Calf the Satan came down and mixed up everyone. He knew that if everyone would be mixed up and disoriented, it would create machlokes, providing a perfect situation for the Satan to rule.

But when we are b’achdus, when we are in unity, there is no greater blessing and protection for the Jewish people.

The wedding of the daughter of a reputable glazier in Brooklyn, New York was well attended by many friends and relatives of the family. However, many were very surprised to see R’ Shlomo of Bobov come through the door one night to participate in the sheva brachos of the new couple. The glazier was certainly not a Bobover chassid nor could any of the chassidim recall ever seeing him join any mesibos. Friends and relatives continued to be amazed as the Rebbe sat through the entire meal, right through bentsching, up until the very end.

At the evening’s conclusion, some of the guests approached the ba’al simcha to inquire about his connection to the Bobover Rebbe. The glazier graciously conceded to explain and related the following:

Two major chassidic courts had been at odds for a while, creating dissension and discord within the community at large. One day, the leader of one of the groups came to meet with R’ Shlomo. He was received with much respect and courtesy, with no reference made to the controversy that was consuming the two groups. However, the Rebbe’s chassidim and others were quite disturbed by this turn of events.

Late one night, some impulsive young people threw a stone through R’ Shlomo’s window, shattering the panes of glass.

Although the hour was very late, R’ Shlomo called the ba’al simcha of this evening, and asked him to come over immediately to fix the window. Cost was no object.

The glazier was glad to be of service to the Rebbe but did not want to take any payment. He did ask the Rebbe why it had been so important for him to have the window fixed in the middle of the night instead of waiting till the morning.

The Rebbe gave the glazier some background and explained that if the chassidim would have seen the broken window in the morning they might have impetuously taken matters into their own hands and added fuel to the already raging fire of machlokes. To avoid such conflagration, the Rebbe sought the urgent help of the glazier.

The ba’al simcha concluded that he had not wanted to take anything from the holy Rebbe, but he had asked R’ Shlomo to show his appreciation to him by participating in the next simcha that he would make.

The Rebbe had been only too happy to oblige.

The latest publication of Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, an anthology of the divrei Torah of the Zera Shimshon on achdus and shalom, is now available to the public in local Jewish bookstores. The book contains a compilation of the Zera Shimshon’s Torah thoughts specifically on the topic of unity and peace.

For the past six years, Rabbi Goldwasser has been giving a daily shiur on the Zera Shimshon on a number of platforms that reach thousands of participants. Those interested in joining Rabbi Goldwasser’s daily Zera Shimshon shiur can call the hotline number 720-716-6165.