Unity and difference are two contrasting, or even conflicting, themes of our time.  On the one hand there is a quest for unity, linking together, forgetting our differences and being one.  This applies in human relationships, in the business world, and is an element in international politics.  On the other hand there is the sense of distinctiveness, of a unique identity, of an individual pathway and destiny.

How does this work for the Jewish people?  Is there room for difference, or do we all have to be the same?  Of course, there are varied communities:  the Sefardi communities, which include diverse groups such as Spanish, Iraqi, Iranian and Moroccan Jews, and the Ashkenazi communities, which likewise include Lithuanian, German Jewish, Polish and Russian Jews, and so on.  And yet, despite these differences, we are all one people.

With the assurance of unstinted blessing for adherence to Torah, the Torah describes in chilling terms the inevitable results of repudiation of Torah.  Our generation has witnessed the literal fulfillment of these predictions.  We American Jews may thank G-d with every breath that we were spared that experience.

There is one promise - or threat - that applies neatly to American Jews.  In describing the situation of Jews exiled from the Holy Land, the Torah says:  I will send a faintness into their hearts; the sound of a fluttering leaf shall chase them; they shall flee as from a sword, and fall with none pursuing.