A Biblical Search for Unity

This next statement may not be surprising to anyone: Our people are not of one mind or heart. However, I once believed that, perhaps thousands of years ago, we were united in this way. I set out to investigate when the term Am Echad (עם אחד) first appeared in the Torah (referring specifically to the Five Books, not the broader body of sacred literature). I sought an exact match of the two words, not derivatives. In my initial post, I mentioned that we discover a word’s context by locating where it first appears in the Torah.

After completing my search, I double-checked the results to ensure their accuracy. The term appears only once in the Torah. In Genesis 11:6, we read: “And Hashem said: If, as one people with one language for all, this is how they have begun to act, then nothing that they propose to do will be out of their reach.”

Commentators note that the people’s construction of the tower was an attempt to become gods themselves, reaching ever higher towards the heavens while showing disdain for their fellow humans. Hashem’s response to this hubris was to scatter the people across the earth, making it difficult for them to communicate with one another.

This led to confusion on my part. If Hashem’s goal is for us to be united as a people, to become Am Echad in service of Hashem, why does the Torah present this term in a negative context? It is clear that the people in the narrative were not seeking to serve Hashem but to replace Him, which itself carries a lesson.

We need to reflect more deeply. While those people were dispersed without a common language, we have Hebrew. Yet, I wonder: Have we ever truly been Am Echad? Even at the foot of Mount Sinai, the term was not used to describe a unified people. We were a collection of tribes, each with different leaders, cultures, insignias, and flags. Through the blessings of Jacob, each Shevet / Tribe was on a different path. The unity we had was rooted in our mission to attain our Land and to treat one another and those less fortunate with Chen (Grace), Chesed (Loving Kindness), and Rachamim (Compassion), reflecting the attributes of our Creator.

Today, I don’t see these qualities when we relate to each other. Unless we are in our ‘own tribe’, we are often divisive, discordant, and dismissive of one another.

Jewish communities in the US and Israel are experiencing fractures due to differences, and I fear we may have been stretched beyond our capacity to recover. We need to learn our ancient lesson. We can be of separate tribes and still be together on so many fundamentals.

Now, we need strong voices to guide us back on track.