Yalkut Shimoni says the words “lo sisgodedu — you shouldn’t cut yourselves, share a root with agudah, group.” Using this understanding, the pasuk is telling us, “Don’t divide yourselves into groups.” When people divide into groups to work toward different purposes, that’s fine — but not when the groups lead to machlokes.
“Why do we have so many different versions and minhagim in tefillah?” Someone once asked the Chofetz Chaim. “Chassidim daven one way and misnagdim daven a different way. Even within each group, there are different minhagim. Some daven with fervor, some with song and dance…wouldn’t it be better if we’d all daven the same way?” (Chofetz Chaim al HaTorah)
Michal and I had been BFFs since the start of time — or at least since we both started camp after third grade. Every summer we’d spend long hours near the lake in deep DMCs, her naturally dark hair in contrast with my fair. We never really discussed our backgrounds or families. Over the years we simply meshed, giving way to deep thoughts on how to save the world, pondering existence, and wondering how perfection could be achieved in This World if the canteen wouldn’t stock Slurpees.
Though we barely saw each other during the year, two months out of twelve is enough time to build a deep lasting bond.
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