There is a verse in Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs): “If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, go out in the footsteps of the flock, and tend your young goats near the shepherds’ dwellings" (Shir HaShirim 1:8).
This verse speaks to the Jewish people, and it carries profound meaning, especially during our long exile. One of the most pressing and painful questions that Am Yisrael asks in the diaspora is: Why hasn’t Mashiach come?
And Shlomo HaMelech—King Solomon—offers a timeless response in Shir HaShirim: "If you do not know, O most beautiful among women..." The Jewish people are referred to here as the most beautiful of all nations—"the fairest among women." But if we don’t understand why redemption is delayed, the verse gently urges: "Go out in the footsteps of the flock."
Look at the sheep. Observe how they move—together. They walk in unison, bound by instinct and connection.
After all these generations, the message is: Why have we not yet learned to follow the example of the flock? Why have we not embraced unity? As the saying goes: United we stand, divided we fall.
The Torah echoes this sentiment: "You are all standing today before Hashem, your G-d..." (Devarim 29:9). The word "standing"—nitzavim—connotes strength and stability. But that only happens when we stand together.
Let us return to the shepherds’ path. Let us walk together, as one flock. And may that unity bring us closer to the redemption we so long for.
