The Laundromat and the Drunk Antisemite
9 min read
The greatest threat to Jewish survival isn't found in Gaza tunnels or Iranian nuclear facilities. It's found in our own homes, synagogues, and communities. Throughout history, this enemy has proven more destructive than any external force—and it's entirely within our control to defeat.
In this week’s Torah portion, the final portion of the Torah, we find a profound revelation about the relationship between God and the Jewish people. "Then [God] became King in Jeshurun (Israel), when the heads of the people assembled, the tribes of Israel together" (Deuteronomy 33:5). God becomes King amongst Israel specifically when the leaders assemble and the tribes come together. The revolutionary insight: God's kingship depends on Jewish unity. The Daas Zekenim, a 12th century commentary comprised of the disciples of Rashi, explains:
"When the Jewish people are truly united and relate to one another as true brothers, then God is truly King over them. When they quarrel among themselves, God cannot truly be seen as being their King."
Why does God's kingship depend on our unity?
The Vilna Gaon distinguishes between two Hebrew terms for leadership: Moshel and Melech. A Moshel rules by force, imposing his will on the nation, while a Melech derives authority from the willing acceptance of the people. Throughout the Torah, God makes it clear that He seeks to be recognized as a Melech rather than a Moshel - "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life" (Deuteronomy 30:19).1
This distinction reveals why unity matters to God's kingship. If only half the nation accepts God as King, then God can only be half a Melech. Further, even when we all acknowledge God as our King, if we lack respect for one another, His Kingship is fractured. How can we claim to serve the same King while treating His other subjects with contempt?
A true king’s authority stems from the people’s unified acceptance of His will, and their ability to live and work together to carry out that will. The Midrash on our verse explains this concept with a powerful metaphor: Picture two ships bound together, supporting a magnificent palace. As long as the ships remain connected, the palace stands firm. But if they drift apart, the palace cannot stand. So it is with the Jewish people - when we maintain our bonds of unity, we create a foundation for God's presence in our world.2
But there's another crucial dimension to this divine kingship: when we unite to crown God as our King, we activate His divine protection. The Ramban explains that when Israel fully accepts divine sovereignty, "their lives are not governed by nature at all…for God will bless their bread and their water and remove illness from their midst.”3 When we stand united under God's sovereignty, we access a protection that operates beyond the normal rules of history and politics.4
Unity and division have shaped Jewish history with striking consistency.
What preceded the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai? The Torah describes the Jewish people's encampment using the singular form ויחן (vayichan) rather than the plural ויחנו (vayachanu). The Talmud5 explains that their singular encampment meant they came to receive the Torah "like one person with one heart." In this instance, unity led to the greatest Divine revelation in history.6
During the Second Temple period, despite careful observance of Torah law, internal strife led to catastrophe. The Talmud7 records how one Jew's public embarrassment of his fellow, with no protest from the generation's leaders, ultimately led to the Roman siege and destruction.8
In the story of Purim, Haman understood this principle all too well. When convincing Achashverosh of the Jews’ vulnerability, he described them as "scattered and separate among all the nations" (Esther 3:8). Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz explains that "scattered" referred to their geographic dispersion, but "separate" described their internal discord and indifference. Haman recognized that a divided Jewish nation would be unable to access divine protection and plotted their destruction accordingly. Queen Esther's response was telling: she instructed Mordechai to "Go, assemble all the Jews"—through united fasting and prayer, God restored His protection, turning what would have been our darkest hour into a time of light and celebration.
Even in recent decades, this pattern continued. In 1987, the late Rabbi Nachman Bulman—a prominent American Orthodox rabbi and educator—witnessed violent clashes between religious and secular Jews in Jerusalem. He warned prophetically: "We are surrounded by tens of millions of Arabs, yet they remain docile. This peace is only due to brotherhood amongst Jews. The day a Jew raises a fist against another Jew, all our protection will be lost." A week later, the first Intifada erupted.
Most recently, the devastating Hamas attack of October 7th, 2023 struck during a period of intense internal division over judicial reform—a conflict that had brought Israel to the brink of civil war. Yet this tragic hour sparked an extraordinary resurgence of unity across political and religious divides. Since achieving this renewed solidarity, Israel has systematically dismantled its enemies: eliminating Hamas and Hezbollah's leadership, toppling Iran's proxy network, and destroying much of Iran's military infrastructure. While these wars did cost Israeli lives, Israel's achievements and protection of its soldiers and civilians exceeded military experts' predictions by many orders of magnitude.
The pattern is unmistakable, and the Midrash beautifully illustrates the principle of divine protection through unity:
"Picture a man who had a bundle of reeds. One reed, he can break easily, but a bundle of them together, he cannot break. So too, the Jewish people. When they are united, no nation or people can harm them, but when they are divided, they can be destroyed, one by one."9
Today, as antisemitism resurges worldwide, unity becomes more crucial than ever. We might not support every decision of Israel's government. We might disagree with fellow Jews on matters of politics or religious practice. We might even strongly dislike certain members of our extended Jewish family. But fundamental brotherhood must take precedence if we hope to ward off external threats.
This means making concrete choices: Defending fellow Jews publicly when they're attacked, even if we disagree with them privately. Supporting Jewish institutions and Israel, even when we question specific policies. Refusing to amplify Jewish voices that delegitimize other Jews or Israel. Choosing Jewish solidarity over political partisanship when our people face existential threats.
The pattern of history is clear: when we stand united, we access divine protection that defies all odds. When we fracture, we revert to the natural vulnerabilities of a tiny nation surrounded by its enemies.
In these challenging times, let us choose to be 'like one person with one heart.' For when we stand together as one nation, we stand with the King Himself. And no force can penetrate the 'Iron Dome' of the King of kings.
Shabbat Shalom!
Avraham
