Different As One (adapted from Rabbi M. Bryski)
I write to you this week from Chabad’s World Headquarters in Brooklyn, NY where I am joined by thousands of colleagues and friends at our International Conference. This annual reunion brings us together - from Laos and Helsinki to Puerto Rico and Pleasanton - to reconnect, recharge and refocus.
Experiencing this conference and witnessing so many different Jewish leaders in different communities with different programs - all coming together for one purpose, brings the following thought to mind; a thought I’d like to share with you for this Shabbat.
Judaism, and the Torah way of life, celebrates individuality. We are each endowed with our own gifts and talents, our own passions and modes of expression. In terms of personality and character, none of us are truly alike. This is the way G‑d created us for it is only through the diverse expression of the multitudes that His true intent in creating this world can be realized.
Each and every Jewish man, woman and child plays his or her own special instrument within the symphony that is Judaism. Within the context and framework of authentic tradition are endless means and modes of service to the Almighty. From the intellectual to the emotional, from the ritualistic to the artistic, we are called upon to experience it all, even as we shine in some areas more than others.
What inspires, stimulates and intrigues some may not do the same for others. Yet, at the pinnacle of it all, is that special place in which we are, and must remain, identical. Within the essential goals - of living and being true to the principles of our holy Torah - is where there is beautiful resemblance among all of the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Let each instrument of the orchestra contribute its own special notes with its own special sound and rhythm. Yet, let us make certain that we are playing the same piece of music - as guided by that one and only Conductor - so that rather than a cacophony of disjointed noise, we have a beautiful symphony of harmonious diversity.
On Sunday evening I’ll be attending our gala banquet with 4000 people (it’s actually New York’s largest banquet) and I look forward to sharing the inspiration of that evening with you next week.
Shabbat Shalom from New York!
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick
