Biddud-Hitbodedut

Shavua Tov. Today’s double Parsha began with ויקהל. The word, “ויקהל”, means, “to gather.” It reflects the importance of Jewish unity. We have a number of slogans that reflect this idea. We speak of the Jewish people on Sinai as איש אחד בלב אחד, “one man, one heart.” We also say in שמונה עשרה, “ברכנו אבינו כלנו כאחד”, that Hashem should bless us as one entity. Yet, on this very Shabbat, we are instructed to stay in our homes and distance ourselves from one another. The explanation for this apparent paradox is that “unity” is not reflected by physical proximity. It is reflected more by a spiritual connection. The message here is that the current situation is one of reflection and introspection. We are united stronger than ever despite the physical distance when we pray for one another, and pray for the welfare of עם ישראל. It is no coincidence that the word בידוד, which means “isolation”, is very close to the word, “התבודדות”, which means, “meditation”. The isolation allows us to meditate on what is important in life. And that will lead to meaning Jewish unity.