This is a time of great festivity in England. 

Queen Elizabeth, who has reigned for an unprecedented 70 years,  is being feted by her nation to celebrate this auspicious milestone. 

Earlier today, as the 96 year old Queen appeared on the famous balcony at Buckingham Palace to receive her subjects, the journalist who was commenting on the scene narrated that the Queen stood on this very same balcony, with her father, who was then King, in 1945, at the end of World War Two. 

This brought me to tears because my dear mother, a refugee from Germany, was witness to that event. She was eternally grateful to Great Britain for providing her a safe haven when she escaped Germany at the brink of war. She suffered the Blitz in England and many of the challenges of wartime, but was fully aware of the miracle of her escape from the clutches of the Nazis. She often speaks of the bravery of the royal family, who did not run away from London during the Blitz, throwing their lot together with the lives of their countrymen which exhibited true leadership. 

I felt very emotional seeing this diminutive woman who symbolizes strength in the face of adversity, the picture of royalty in our time. 

As my Mother’s father lived in London for the rest of his life, my Mom would take us to England every summer, to spend time with him. We enjoyed many of the sights, and watched the famous Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace many a time. 

Another ceremonial event that took place annually in London is called the Trooping of the Color. It is performed by regiments of the British army as they perform a complicated march in formation while carrying their colors, or their regimental flags. The Trooping is a moving testimony to the allegiance of the regiments to their sovereign as the maneuver in formation. 

This week’s Torah portion is called BaMidbar, which means in the desert, and it describes what life was like for the Jewish nation while they sojourned in the desert, in the wilderness. 

The Torah describes the encampment of the nation which was set up in a square. The 12 Tribes were divided into four sections, with 3 tribes encamped on each of the four sides of the square. Each Tribe had a unique flag, or banner, under which each Tribe dwelt.

Each flag had its own color for the Tribe it represented which corresponded to the colored stone on the breastplate of the High Priest which had the Tribe’s name engraved upon it. 

The flag also sported an insignia which represented the distinct characteristic of the Tribe. For example, the Tribe of Judah had a picture of a lion. 

(Hence the concept of Lion of Judah). 

The flags would identify the essential mission of the Tribe in their service of Gd. 

One might thing that this phenomenon of separate flags would divide the nation, but instead it served as unifier. Because the entire formation of the encampment was focused on its center, the Tabernacle, which represents the service of Gd. Each Tribe, under its unique flag,insignia and color which represents their own unique traits, was United in the common goal of service of the Almighty. The Torah is at the epicenter and each Tribe was the same distance from the center, the mission was within their sight wherever they traveled. 

Why did the Jewish nation form this seemingly rigid formation?

Our Sages teach us that when Gd came to Mt Sinai to give the Torah, Gd was accompanied, so to speak, by hosts of angels who were arrayed under banners. The Jewish people were transfixed by this sight and wished to recreate it. It was a moving testimony of the allegiance of the subjects to their Sovereign. 

This Saturday evening begins the holiday of Shavuot when we celebrate, for the ensuing two days, the receiving of the Torah. The Torah portion perfectly sets the stage for it reminds us how we encamped at the foot of the mountain, like one person, with one heart, signifying the unity which was the hallmark of the Jewish people at the time. Not just one identity, but many identities and flags, but united as a heart beating as one. 

A very great heart was stilled today. 

One of our most royal figures passed away today in Israel. 

His name was Rabbi Uri Zohar. Uri Zohar was a film personality and wildly popular cult figure in Israel in the 1960s. His career was skyrocketing when in the 1970s he began to explore his Judaism. He was fascinated by the philosophy of Judaism and dedicated the rest of his life to studying and teaching Judaism to Israelis from every walk of life. He capitalized on his giant personality, charisma and towering intellect, to capture the hearts and minds of so many. He wrote a fascinating book entitled “My Friends We Have Been Robbed” which addresses the travesty of not being taught the ancient Jewish wisdom which is the heritage and right of every Jew. 

How appropriate that Prime Minister Bennett eulogized Rabbi Zohar today by saying he was “an integral part of Israeliness in all its shades” 

He was a great figure who Bennett said “brought hearts together”. 

As we are about to embark on the holiday of Shavuot we keep in mind that there is so much more that unites us than what divides us. We can use the present day spectacle of the British monarchy to conjure up in our minds the pomp and circumstance of the Jewish nation, millions strong, as the camped in formation with the Torah in the center dedicating themselves to the Sovereign. We follow in the footsteps, in the maneuvers of those that came before us. They celebrated the strengths and talents each one of us has recognizing that it takes each individual, no matter how seemingly diminutive, to create the power of the multitude. 

May the light Rabbi Zohar (whose name means light) brought to all serve as the banner and beacon which leads us forward in our own, individual service, each under our own glorious flag. 

May his memory be for a blessing. 

Shabbat Shalom, Happy Shavuot and so much love!