The Test of Diversity 49:13 – Tribes

G-d says that He originated and created us from a male and a female without any similarity existing before. And that He began us as groupings of peoples from among the broader species of humanity. He then evolved us into tribes and families from one essential origin. He further made us into diverse races so that ultimately, we would recognize a shared purpose in one another.

He cautions us to be aware that the most exalted in status is he or she who obtains the greatest degree of G-d Consciousness. And we are to know for certain that G-d’s knowledge is the most far-reaching and that He is the knower of the subtleties of knowledge.

The original makeup of humanity is that of a social creature. G-d provides us with a picture of ourselves evolving from one origin like a tree with many branches. Although the larger branches yield their own smaller branches, they remain connected and serve the broader purpose in the life of the tree.

Likewise, the trees of mankind are comprised of diverse groupings. Together they express a collective life when they accept to respect each other and identify as one. Unity is a binding force when this sense of acceptance exists among the members.

Acceptance becomes a productive tool for progress. It requires that individual members of a family or society respect and identify in a common purpose. Therefore, selfish motives cause harm to the unity and weakens the will of the collective body.

It is within G-d’s plan to challenge human beings by the test of diversity. Meeting the challenge refines man’s perception and evolves him to a higher level of human development. The test refines his social nature and enables him to serve all that is beneath him.

G-d, who is the Creator of our diversity, teaches us that faith and piety are necessary ingredients to sustain our collective life. The individual is required to accept responsibility for his or her conduct. The nobility of character embraced by individual family members serves as a protection against that which weakens the bonds of kinship.

The term “broken family” implies that the family has become dysfunctional and its members have become distanced from each other. In today’s so-called modern society, the divorce rate has exceeded 50%. The traditional family concept has been abandoned. The family model of our grandparents no longer serves as an example for advancing family life. The present generation has failed to inherit from its blood lineage the sacred values and traditions that support family bonds.