Kobi Peretz's Emotional Message: "Unity is Very Important, Even Without Uniformity"

On the last Shabbat evening, singer Kobi Peretz moved many with a post on social media, in which he intertwined teachings from the weekly Torah portion Matot-Masei, drawing parallels between the journeys of the Israelites in the desert and our times today.

This is what he writes:

"In the weekly portions of Matot-Masei, we learn about the forty-two journeys the Israelites undertook in the desert, and our sages ask: Why does the Torah mention these locations, are they not just 'places' in the desert? But our sages explain: Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, so the 'desert' deserves gratitude for that, and thus Hashem recorded these places in the Torah to pay the desert its reward! Even in the future, the desert will receive additional reward, as the prophet Isaiah says: 'The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like the crocus.' In the future, Hashem will make the 'barren' desert bloom and turn into a green and flourishing garden, teaching us a *moral lesson* that we must show gratitude to Hashem and to everyone for all the goodness they do for us."

Peretz continues, recounting a story attributed to Rabbi Yitzhak David Grossman who visited the Western Wall with a wealthy Jew. "There they saw a Jew crying, and the rabbi said to the wealthy man: 'Let's go over and ask him why he is crying. If his problem is spiritual, I will assist him, and if it is financial, you will assist him.' The wealthy man agreed, and the two approached the crying Jew and asked if they could help him.

"The Jew replied with a smile and said: 'Thank Hashem, I have ten children and yesterday I married off my tenth son. So today I came to the Western Wall to thank Hashem for granting me the privilege to raise my children and escort them to the chuppah with honor and joy, and that's why I'm crying out of happiness."

His response deeply impressed the rabbi, who remarked, "Upon you it is said - repayer of good into good, the good will never depart." Peretz writes about this and concludes: "Our sages said that the destruction of the Second Temple and the lengthy exile are the result of baseless hatred and unnecessary disputes. May we avoid unnecessary disputes and certainly baseless hatred, and always strive to be pioneers together with others, acting according to the guidelines given for the greater good. Not to act according to what is convenient for us, especially when it might harm others. We should remember: There doesn't have to be uniformity - but unity is very important. Shabbat Shalom."