A Short Message to My Fellow Jews

Thank G-d, the Jewish people are pulling together and uniting during the war in Israel to an extent many of us have never experienced before. It’s truly astounding. And even though we always ban together in times of need, this time feels different. Profoundly different. It’s like a whole other level of connection. You can feel the brotherhood, the love, the comradery. It’s like our souls are in near-perfect synch. Thank G-d, it really feels like we’re a family.

Friends, this is a very, very rare opportunity.

Let’s harness the remarkable unity we’re feeling on a global level, and let it influence our lives on an interpersonal level. Now is the time to put an end to sinas chinam (baseless hatred among Jews). We must strike while the iron is hot. It’s time to put our quarrels, conflicts, and baggage behind us... Let’s replace bickering and bad vibes with greater patience, acceptance, and love. Let’s tap into the massive wave of unity we’re feeling and let it make a difference at home, on the job, in line at the supermarket, wherever. No more letting the little stuff divide us. Let’s make a conscious effort to reach out to that person we work with or that parent we do carpool with who gets on our nerves, or that relative or neighbor we feel distanced from and try to reconnect. Reforge our bond. Rebuild rapport.

Every mended relationship between two Jews adds to the collective peace of the entire Jewish people! And as our sages tell us, eliminating baseless hatred is what will bring about worldwide shalom and the final redemption.

G-d willing, the tide is turning for the good. Not just in the war, but in the hearts of the Jewish people.

So let’s not miss this golden opportunity. We can each do something small, yet truly immeasurable. A simple text, a friendly call, an unexpected smile to that person we’ve been casually ignoring...

Let’s grab hold of the pervasive sense of Jewish unity that’s circling the globe and infuse it into our personal lives! If not for our sake or the sake of the other person, let’s do it for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Israel. The peace we create in our lives has a direct impact on theirs. Because we all know ... we’re all in this together.

(Including that guy down the street who drives us a little crazy. Yeah, even him.)

Have a meaningful day, everyone. May Hashem (G-d) keep our family in Israel safe and quickly save those precious souls who have been abducted.

Marshall

Keep on Building!??