But what if I told you the Torah itself offers some pretty practical advice about diversifying your... well, everything?
It's tucked away in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, Bereshit Rabbah 76. Here, the rabbis are unpacking the verse, "He divided the people..." referring to Jacob as he prepares to meet his brother Esau after years of separation (Genesis 32:8).
The rabbis see in Jacob's actions a lesson in good conduct, in smart planning. The idea? Don't concentrate all your resources, all your people, all your hopes in one place. Spread them out. Why? Because if disaster strikes one area, something—or someone—will survive.
It's a bit like the old saying, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." If the basket falls, you lose everything. But if you have multiple baskets... well, you get the idea.
The text gives us another example, this time from the Book of Kings. Remember Ovadiah, the righteous servant of King Ahab? When Jezebel was hunting down prophets of God, Ovadiah hid a hundred of them. But he didn’t cram them all into one cave. No, he hid fifty men in one cave, and fifty in another (I Kings 18:4). Same principle! Spread the risk.
And the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah drive the point home with Jacob's own words: "If Esau will come upon the one camp, and smite it, the remaining camp will survive" (Genesis 32:9). It's a plan born of fear, sure, but also of wisdom.
But here's where it gets really interesting. The rabbis take this idea beyond the literal battlefield and apply it to the Jewish people's dispersion. "If Esau will come upon the one camp, and smite it – these are our brethren in the south," the text says, referring to the Land of Israel. "The remaining camp will survive – these are our brethren in the Diaspora."
Wow.
Rabbi Hoshaya adds another layer. Even though those in the Diaspora "survived," they still fast on Mondays and Thursdays on behalf of their brethren in the Land of Israel. So, even in safety, they maintain a connection, a shared destiny, a sense of responsibility.
What does this all mean for us today? I think it's a reminder that resilience isn't just about physical survival. It's about diversifying our efforts, our resources, and even our hopes. It's about recognizing that we're all interconnected, that what happens in one place affects us all. And it's about remembering to support each other, even when we're not directly threatened.
Maybe next time we're facing a challenge, we can channel a little bit of Jacob’s wisdom, a little bit of Ovadiah's foresight, and remember: don't put all your eggs in one basket. And don't forget to check in on the other baskets, too.