However, the most significant and momentous observation from this trip – and the main reason for my writing this article – occurred on Shabbos in Hong Kong, and provided me with an eternal appreciation for the diversity in Torah Judaism.
Shabbos in Hong Kong was a panorama of international Yiddishkeit under the kind and comforting roofs of the wonderful Chabad and Sefardic shuls led by very talented rabbanim. The shuls are filled with Jews of every stripe and color – Sefardim, Askenazim, Litvacks, Misnagdim, Bnei Yeshiva, Yekkies, Chassidim, baalei teshuva – all practicing the diverse rainbow of customs and cultures that constitute Klal Yisrael.
I wondered: if we all descend from the Avos, how could so many different minhagim and nuschaos all be legitimate? Someone must have it wrong; we cannot be so different and yet all authentic. That is when I began to appreciate the hashagacha pratis of my Shabbos in Hong Kong.
The Torah is filled with 613 mitzvos and thousands of related halachos. It is virtually impossible for even the best educated and observant to fulfill them meticulously; only tzadikkim can observe it meticulously. The knowledge a person must possess to observe all of Torah is beyond the capacity and reach of most Jews. It is only as a whole nation, practicing diverse customs and focusing on different elements, that we form the composite, authentic Jew.
In observing each cultural group, I realized that the distinctive focus on their minhagim reflects an emphasis of one facet of Judaism. As a total community, we have developed cultural practices that emphasize diverse dimensions of Yiddishkeit. These diverse attributes distinguish us from each other on the one hand, while at the same time they bind us into the “Composite Jew.”
The Sefardim displayed an intensity and passionate kavanah in Tefillah that is enviable. The punctual Yekkies were the first to arrive at every minyan and shiur. The Litvishe demonstrated a scrupulous observance of mitzvos. The Baalei teshuva displayed a palpable thirst for knowledge. The Chassidim exuded an aura of holiness and sanctity in their dress and mannerisms. The Bnei Yeshiva maintained their regular Torah learning schedules despite the alluring distractions of a foreign setting. The baalei mussar organized, managed and facilitated the material needs of all of the guests.
We met in shul for Shabbos Tefillah, meals and divrei Torah with our unique cultural diversities; however, those differences quickly dissipated. We coalesced into one complete Jew from whom the Ribbono Shel Olam had great nachas. On that Shabbos, we became the perfect Jew who shares the authenticity of Avraham Avinu. We were the virtuous reflection of the Avos who, because of their greatness, encompassed all of these virtues as individuals.
Rabbi Warren Goldstein, Chief Rabbi of South Africa, who co-authored The Legacy with Rabbi Berel Wein, notes (p.158) a point made by the Ohr HaChaim which supports what I felt on that Shabbos. Chazal tell us that while there are 613 mitzvos in the Torah corresponding to the different parts of the human body, no single Jew can perform all of them: some are for men, others for women, some for Kohanim, some for kings and others for farmers, etc. How, the Ohr HaChaim asks, can a person achieve the totality of all 613 mitzvos? He explains that it is a “communal project” for all of Klal Yisrael. When each Jew observes his or her own mitzvos, all others have a share in the mitzvah.
This magical Shabbos taught me that diversity in Klal Yisrael is our greatest asset and strength, not a divisive liability. We must nurture, respect and admire the cultural uniqueness that distinguishes our different groups. As individuals, we do not possess the talent or capacity to be the true and authentic Jew.