By the Grace of G‑d
Lag B'Omer, 5745 [May 9, 1985]
Brooklyn, N.Y.

G‑d Bless you all!

I was pleased to be informed about the preparations for the forthcoming annual event next Rosh Chodesh Sivan, please G‑d.

The first day of Sivan is an auspicious day, since, as is well known, this is the day when the Jews arrived at Mount Sinai. Thus the Torah relates: "On the third month (Sivan), on this very day (the first of the month), they came to the Desert of Sinai, and (the people of) Israel encamped there facing the Mountain."

Our Sages of blessed memory observe that the word vayichan ("encamped") is expressed in the singular, to indicate that all the Jews were united "like one person, with one heart - " i.e. with one desire - to receive the Torah.

One of the inner aspects of this point is as follows:

Considering that the Jewish people consisted of twelve tribes, and that human beings, as individuals, generally differ from one another in their personal interests and opinions; and, indeed, the previous journeys and camping’s since leaving Egypt were in a manner of vayisu vayachnu ("and they travelled and the encamped"), in the plural, and were not free from friction - what was it that so completely united them all of a sudden, "like one person with one heart"?

The answer is to be found in the words "facing the Mountain." Having come face to face with the Mountain on which G‑d was to give them His Torah, they were so inspired and overawed that all differences of opinion and personal interests vanished; for the one Torah, given by the One G‑d, has the Divine power to overcome all peripheral aspects which separate one from another.

In other words, when Jews unite for one purpose, namely, to order their every-day life, in all details, in harmony with the Divine Torah, this not only supersedes all external things which divide individuals one from the other, but, on the contrary, it makes it possible to utilize such differences to complete one another into one perfect whole, one body.

With esteem and blessing for Hatzlocho (success) and for good tidings,