On July 2, I was asked to deliver an invocation at the Village of Orient’s observance of Heritage Day. In planning my remarks to the villagers and guests, I was reminded that only a few years previous, I had the distinct honor to share that spot with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. This time it was Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, and Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski. Below is the text of my invocation this year:

We often find ourselves lamenting the lack of unity. A few years ago, I stood in this very spot with Justice Sotomayor, and in an unplanned moment, we both spoke about the Imperfect Union. Perhaps our approach to creating a perfect union is flawed. The clue lies in God’s message that He will speak to us from between the two cherubs atop the Holy Ark. This signifies that He will speak to us through the conversations we have with one another. Our oneness can be realized only through the breath of God, which is our own breath.

It all comes down to conversation. Naturally, we will disagree. As the Talmud states, just as people have different faces, they have different opinions. We will never achieve complete agreement. The only thing we can strive for is healthy discourse.

Maintaining a healthy discourse becomes particularly challenging when it involves matters of land or other tangible desires that both parties share. When it becomes an all-or-nothing situation, conflicts arise – and Cain kills his brother Abel. However, if we make room for diverse voices and options, we create space for God and His voice through us. In fact, one of the names for God is HaMakom, meaning “the space.” By doing so, we prevent destruction, and we are not able to kill.

Interestingly, the Hebrew word for Messiah, “Mashiach,” is a homonym that also means “conversation.” This implies that our redemption will not come from agreeing with each other, but rather from how we conduct our discourse. This is the true heritage.

We must remember that the world did not start with us and (hopefully) will not end with us. When God gave the Torah to Israel on Mount Sinai, He didn’t bestow upon them a private inheritance; He gave them a heritage. The difference is that an inheritance can be kept for oneself, while a heritage is meant to be preserved and passed on. America and the Second Vatican Council have provided a space for the Greenport Ecumenical Ministries, where individuals from various denominations come together as friends.

“Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My alter; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7) At the conclusion of Aleinu Leshabeach, the ending of every Jewish prayer, we say: “The Lord will be Ruler over the whole Earth, and on that day, God will be One, and God’s name will be One.”

On this 247th birthday of America, let us celebrate the greatest conversation on Earth.

—Rabbi Gadi Capela