In this week’s Parsha, we meet _Pinchas_ (the namesake of the Parsha)—a figure of bold, even radical action. The _Lubavitcher Rebbe_ teaches that what made _Pinchas_ worthy of the _Brit Shalom_, G-d’s covenant of peace, was not the act itself, but the purity behind it. He wasn’t driven by anger or ego, but by selfless devotion to God and to _klal Yisrael_. His courage came from inner peace, not personal passion. That’s the _real_ message here: true leadership is rooted in _emet_ (truth), in responsibility, and in doing what’s right _l’shem shamayim_.
We read the story of _Pinchas_ as we enter _Bein HaMetzarim_, the “Three Weeks”—a time beginning with the _17th of Tammuz_ which commemorates the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls and ending with _Tish’a B’av_, marking the destruction of the _Beit HaMikdash_. Our sages teach it wasn’t just external enemies that brought us down—it was _sinat chinam_, senseless hatred, that weakened us from within. If division led to destruction, then _ahavat Yisrael_—love and respect for one another—must be what leads to rebuilding.
That’s why Jewish unity isn’t just something I believe in—it’s something I feel responsible for. And it’s what drew me to the Voice of the People Council. This isn’t just a forum—it’s a _kehillah_, it’s a space where Jews of vastly different backgrounds are talking to one another with curiosity and respect, not judgment and dismissal. My team, Team 3, is exploring the dangers of polarization in the Jewish world, and more importantly, the pathways toward healing it. Sometimes, the walls we need to rebuild aren’t physical, but relational—between Jews with different stories, ideologies, and lived experiences.
We won’t always agree. We’re not supposed to. But we’ve committed to staying at the table. And that’s where the healing begins.
As we enter Shabbat during this time of national reflection, may we, the members of this Council, and we, Am Yisrael, be blessed with a _Brit Shalom_.
A peace that is real. A peace that is lasting.
Shabbat Shalom u’mevorach.
