Chazal teach that the stones began quarreling, each one vying for the tzadik to rest his head upon it. Thereupon, Hashem combined them all into one stone to serve the tzadik equally. Apparently, the competition among the stones lasted only as long as they were separated from one another. Why did it not continue, even when they became one with different surfaces? Each stone could have demanded that Yaakov rest his head on his portion of the stone. This teaches us that competitiveness and divisiveness occur only when people are separated from one another. When everyone lives together in harmony, when they coalesce as one unit, whatever preexisting issues seemed to have plagued their relationship are no longer a factor. Once they all became one stone, every surface of the stone represented the entire unit as one.
True achdus is not uniformity – but equality. We are not the same, but we are equal. Achdus is not merely the absence of conflict, but the realization that the whole is the sum of its parts. Thus, all its parts are indispensable. When unity exists, no one is above and no one is below – the entire surface is one representation of everyone’s contribution.
Horav Shalom BenTzion Felman, zl, cites the Shaarei Teshuvah (Hilchos Tefillin 42), quoting the Eliyahu Rabbah who issued a halachic ruling based upon this concept of achdus, which is derived from the stones. If the retzuah, strap of one’s tefillin shel yad, tefillin he wears on his arm, tears off at the site of the kesher, knot, where he wraps it around his arm, he makes a new kesher using the other end of the retzuah. [In other words, if the “A” part of the retzuah which is used for the kesher tears, a new kesher may be made from the “B” part, other end of the retzuah.] This is a chiddush, innovative ruling, since one would think that the part of the retzuah which had previously been used for the kesher maintains a greater, more elevated level of kedushah, holiness. Thus, to use the other end of the retzuah would theoretically degrade the level of kedushah. Obviously, due to the fact that they are both parts of one long strap, they are considered equal in level of kedushah. They are one and the same, as we see from the stones that became one.
The Mishneh in Pirkei Avos (5:5) records ten miracles which occurred in the Bais HaMikdash. One of them is that no one ever came on pilgrimage to the Bais HaMikdash and remarked that he had no room/place to sleep overnight. This is miraculous, because Yerushalayim is just so big and the number of pilgrims by far exceeded the available space. Rav Felman comments that actually the amount of available space in no way coincided with the number of people that converged on Yerushalayim. He explains that, during the Chagim, Festivals, the level of joy and harmony that reigned in Yerushalayim as the pilgrims came to imbibe the kedushah of the holy Sanctuary and to revel in their exposure to the Hashroas Ha’Shechinah, Divine Presence, was so that no one thought about room to sleep. Everyone found a place because everyone made sure that everyone had a place. The joy was so palpable and the love among Jews was so visible that people just made a place for everyone. He quotes Teshuvos Chasam Sofer (Yoreh Deah 2-234) who says that, unquestionably, it was tight and cramped in the Azarah. The miracle was that out of intense love for Hashem and immense joy in being able to participate, no one gave a second thought about space. It all worked out.
The following story is recorded in Sefer HaZikaron memorializing Horav Moshe Schneider, zl (Rosh Yeshivah in Frankfurt and London). A Jewish traveler arrived in the middle of the night to the city in which Rav Moshe resided. The man needed a place to rest his weary body, and he went looking around the Jewish community to see if someone would host him for the night. He came upon a large mansion which had twelve rooms and two inhabitants. He asked the owner of the house whether he had room for a weary traveler.
The reply was a polite, “No.” The owner of the house explained that one room was for him, the other for his son. The third was a game room, and the fourth was for an afternoon nap. He went through every room in the house and stated its purpose. He had twelve rooms, and no place for a Jewish brother to sleep. (Some people have no shame. This man was not malicious – just thoughtless and self-centered.) It bothered him that the Jewish traveler would have nowhere to go. Suddenly, it dawned on him, “I will take you to Rav Schneider’s house. He is the Rosh Yeshivah, and he will surely be able to put you up for the night.”
They came to the Rosh Yeshivah’s home, which was comprised of four rooms which were filled with students. Learning was always happening in every nook and cranny. Rav Moshe welcomed the guest; the Rebbetzin immediately heated up a warm dinner for him.
As they left, the father said to his son, “See, I told you Rav Schneider will somehow find a place for this man.”
When a house is filled with joy; when harmony reigns, there is always room. When it is all about “me” – there is no room for anyone else.
