Stepping Stones To Shalomনমুনা

Better Together for Peace

Once there was an old farmer who had five sons who barely got along. When the aged farmer felt that his time was near, he called his sons to his deathbed. The father advised them to live in unity, but clearly, his words fell on deaf ears. So the farmer asked a servant to bring in a bundle of sticks. 

He asked each of his sons to try to break the bundle but not one succeeded. Then he ordered the servant to untie the bundle and set the sticks free. Now the sons could easily break all the sticks that had been in the bundle. The father urged his sons to live like that bundle of sticks – together they would be strong and unbreakable; but if they separated from each other, they would all be vulnerable to harm.

Leviticus 26 begins with a series of blessings that would come to Israel if the people followed God's commands. There would be plenty of rain, an abundance of crops, and peace, shalom. When it came to the promises about safety and security, Scripture described it this way: “Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand . . .” Essentially, the promise was that few would defeat many. Indeed, this promise came true for Israel both in biblical times and in our day as well.

However, as the Jewish sages point out, the math in this verse doesn’t add up. If five chase 100, that is a ratio of one-to-20. Based on that ratio of strength God promised, then 100 Israelites should be able to defeat 2,000 enemies. Yet the verse clearly promised that 100 men would chase 10,000 enemies. That’s a ratio of one to 100!

The sages clarify this apparent inconsistency by explaining that we cannot compare the unity of five people with the unity of 100. As the old farmer tried to teach his sons, there is strength in unity. And the greater the unity, the greater the strength. 

Shalom means that we are shalem — whole, united, complete. When we have shalom with each other – when we work together and stick together — we are strong and blessed. 

Alone, each of us can do some good, but together we are having a major impact on God’s land and His people. Together we can bring great blessings to Israel, and God will bless us in return. As He promises in Genesis: “I will bless those who bless you” (12:3). 

Stepping Stone 9: Join with others and work together. Look for ways ways to join with others in all aspects of life. At home, in the workplace, and in our communities, we are always better together.