Why Birds Fly in a V formation?
When I look up at the autumn sky and watch the migrating birds fly in a perfect V formation, I’m reminded of the Jewish people in Egypt.
Why do birds fly in V formation? Why not an S or Alef or Bet formation?
Scientists have found that the V-shaped flight formation allows each bird to receive lift from the wings of the bird in front of it. A flock of birds has an astonishing 70% greater range than a bird flying alone. The birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, they can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest. Birds that fly alone beat their wings more frequently and have higher heart rates than those that fly in formation.
So, too, it was only once the Jewish people united together that we began to make real progress. We only became a nation, when we were in Egypt. Before then, we were merely a fragmented group of individuals. Under Egyptian persecution, however, the Jews joined together to help one another. When one finished his quota of bricks, he would help others. It was then that G-d saw that the Jews deserved His compassion — because they showed compassion toward each other.