Find your Brother
You grew up together. Rode your bikes together. Took summer drives with the windows rolled down. Ate sweets at your grandparents' home, and laughed at your Zayde's jokes together.
And then you grew up, each starting a family and building your own lives. Making it harder to remain connected.
As the Jewish people were about to enter the land of Israel, they were starting a new chapter. For the past forty years, they lived in close proximity to each other, surrounding the tabernacle, which was the center of the community that bound them as a family. Once acrosscrossed the Jordan River, the various tribes would disperse, settling in distinct geographical areas, each with their own unique life.
In this week’s portion, as Moses repeats the Torah in preparation for the entry to the land, he reiterates many of the Torah’s commandments, but he does so with a distinct flavour, addressing the challenges and opportunities of life in the land of Israel. As we read the commandments, we listen not only to the technical laws, but also to the poetry and music that Moses is sharing.
Moses reiterates the law of returning lost objects. Moses keeps repeating one word, a word that does not appear when the commandment was first introduced in the Book of Exodus. Here Moses keeps emphasizing the word brother:
You shall not see your brother's ox or sheep straying, and ignore them. [Rather,] you shall return them to your brother.
But if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, you shall bring it into your house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks it out, whereupon you shall return it to him.
So shall you do with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment, and so shall you do with any lost article of your brother which he has lost and you have found. You shall not ignore [it].
Moses is telling us more than just the commandment to return an object we find. Moses is telling us to find our brother. Moses isn't only telling you to return your brother's property; he's telling you to remember that the person standing in front of you is your brother.
As the tribes disperse in the land of Israel, separation and divisiveness can emerge. Moses reminds us that in order for Israel to flourish, and for us to fulfil our spiritual purpose, we must remember that we are a family.
When we “find our brother”, when we realize we are connected to each other because we share a history and a shared spiritual mission, we will "return" and strengthen our connection, not only with our brother but also with our father in heaven.