Recently, I arrived at shul for a Bar Mitzvah and, as I was greeting the family, I noticed someone standing nearby whom I didn’t recognise.

I introduced myself and asked if he was part of the family. At first, he replied, “No, I’m just visiting from Israel.” A few moments later, however, he smiled and said, “Actually, I am part of the family the extended Jewish family.”

Someone standing nearby joked, “All you need to do is talk to a fellow Jew for a few minutes and you’ll find a connection.” What began as a joke quickly proved to be true. As we continued talking, we discovered that he knew one of my friends and colleagues quite well. Before long, we had found a genuine connection.

That encounter reminded me of something very special about our people. No matter where we come from or how different our backgrounds may seem, there is often an invisible thread that binds us together. In fact, after Shabbat, we stayed in touch, and I was able to assist him with something because of that newfound connection.

We should never take this special bond for granted. In truth, “unity” may not even be the right word. Unity suggests separate individuals choosing to stand together. What we share is something deeper, a sense of family.

This idea brings us to this week’s Parshat Korach.

Korach’s rebellion was not merely a challenge to Moshe’s leadership; this rebellion caused division and machloket within the Jewish people. The Torah therefore warns us, “Do not be like Korach.” Rather than sowing discord, we are called upon to cherish and strengthen the bonds that unite us as one people.

Korach’s fate is particularly striking. He and his followers were swallowed by the earth. Perhaps there is a deeper lesson here. When we lose sight of our connection to one another, when we abandon the understanding that we are one family, we risk being pulled downward, consumed by materialism, ego, and the pettiness that so often dominates this world. Division drags us down.

But when we remain connected, when we appreciate and strengthen the ties that bind us together, we rise above. We rise above the trivial conflicts and distractions of daily life and reconnect with our higher purpose.

We are living through challenging and unsettling times. The ongoing conflict in the middle east, the tensions throughout the region, and the uncertainty facing the Jewish world remind us how important it is to stand together. Now more than ever, we need to deepen our sense of belonging to one Jewish family.

When we stay united, we become stronger. When we support one another, we rise above the forces that seek to divide us. And when we embrace our shared mission as a people, we can continue to bring light, goodness, and blessing to the world.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Zalman and Esty