This week's Torah reading, which opens the Book of Bamidbar (Numbers), describes the desert encampment of Bnei Yisrael around the Tabernacle – four tribes in each direction, with four groups of Levites in the middle, and the Tabernacle in the absolute center (see Bamidbar 2,2). The Torah states that they had flags and otot for each tribe. The word otot often refer to "signs," and in fact Rashi explains that the flag of each tribe served to identify it, as it was colored with the color of the tribe's unique stone of the Priestly breastplate.

However, the Ben Ish Chai explains otot according to its other meaning: letters. That it, each three-tribe group had a flag, on each of which were 3-4 letters from the names of our Patriarchs – a total of 13 letters. Thirteen in gematriya (numerology) is the value of the word Echad, One – as it is spelled aleph(1) – chet (8) – dalet (4), totaling 13. Thus, the amount of letters on the flags signal and instruct Israel to always be united (not uniform…), for the importance of unity is so great that in its merit, Israel will be saved from its enemies and will not be exiled from their Holy Land, even if they sin in other ways.

This concept is so fundamental and critical that it is cited in many different Rabbinic writings. For instance, in Medrash B'reshit Rabba (38,6), we read:

"R. Yehuda HaNasi says, Peace is so great that even if Israel worships idols but there is peace between them, it is as if G-d says that He cannot control them because of the peace between them – as is written, "Ephraim is joined idols, let him be" (rough translation of Hoshea 4,17): G-d will not punish Ephraim/Israel even when they worship idols, because they are joined. [This Medrashic interpretation is not the verse's plain meaning, which is that when Ephraim is engaged in idol-worship, G-d will leave them to be punished by suffering the natural consequences of their sins. - HF] But when they are divided and not united, the Prophet says: "Their heart is split, they will now be faulted" (10,2). We thus see the greatness of peace and how hated is discord."

This concept is actually quite difficult to understand. Can it possibly be that disunity is worse than idol-worship?! After all, the Mishna says in Sanhedrin (8,5): "Dispersion of wicked people is good for them and for the world… Union of the wicked is bad for them and bad for the world." In short, unity among the wicked is very negative, as it helps them to sin.

Why then does the Medrash say that G-d "cannot" control or punish them when they are united, but rather shows them mercy? Isn't it true that a public, societal sin is worse than that of an individual, and is a greater desecration of His Name? So what if there is peace between them, when the peace is used to do sins?

With G-d's mercies and benevolence, I merited to find a precious gem to answer this question in the words of R. Shlomo Ephraim of Lunchitz, author of the classic Torah commentary Kli Yakar. He also asks this question, and answers as follows:

 "When there is peace among the idol-worshipers, they will certainly discuss the issues and debate whether there in fact is truth in idol-worship, or is it really a sham and a fake. When they are at peace, they discuss it carefully, listen to each other, and undoubtedly get to the bottom of the matter. They will then certainly conclude that it is truly valueless to worship anything other than G-d, the Creator of the World. For when people who are at peace with each other discuss a matter, they do so with attentiveness and willingness to learn and agree – and thus the truth is revealed.

Dispute Can be Peace
This is as our Sages stated in Pirkei Avot (5,17): "Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven, such as that between Hillel and Shammai, will last." That is, even when they disagree, they still unite in their common goal of clarifying the truth according to their Father in Heaven – thus that even their dispute is essentially "peace" …

This is why the Medrash said that when Israel engages in idolatry but has peace among them, G-d extends His patience toward them – so that they will discuss and examine the matter, and will ultimately conclude that idolatry is false and has no value. This itself is the praise of G-d, when they come to understand of their own accord that they have inherited emptiness, as in the words of the Prophet Yeshayahu (48,9): “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it for you.”

However, when they sin and their hearts are divided from one another, they are immediately condemned – for even if they discuss and debate the matter, the truth will not emerge, since each one is interested only in refuting his fellow’s words. Even if he sees that the other is correct, he does not listen to him, because he wishes only to provoke and antagonize him.

This is why our Sages forbade having two Torah scholars who have ill will towards each other together on a court, since each one’s mind is set on contradicting the other’s words.

In this context we find a difference between the Sages of the Diaspora and those of Eretz Yisrael. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 24a), citing Zecharia 11,7, says that when the Prophet took two rods and called one "Pleasantness" and the other he called "Hitting," the first one refers to the Torah scholars of the Holy Land, who are pleasant to one another in Halakhic discussion, and the other refers to those in the Diaspora, who battle and hurt one another in such debate.

This is in accordance with the principle stated above, that our settlement in the Holy Land depends precisely on the quality of peace, for the cause of our exile to Babylonia was that the scholars there abandoned the ways of peace.

Quite clearly, a back-and-forth discussion conducted with mutual antagonism will never reveal the truth; peace and truth emerge only from respect and unity of hearts.

Translated by Hillel Fendel

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