Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech: All in Good Standing

 

Torah Parallels Weekly

Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech

💭 A Thought on the Parsha:   All in Good Standing                         Immediately Rabbeinu Bechayei writes that K’lal Yisroel stood to join in a new bris with Hashem as they had done originally at Har Sinai by mattan Torah. The original bris had to be forfeited and a new one created because the members of the original bris had participated in the eigel ha’zahav which clearly broke the bris. Moshe rabbeinu therefore notified them that this time they were joining in a bris with a curse and a promise as an incentive for B’nei Yisroel to “think twice” before veering from the derech. Obviously, the Torah and mitzvos did not change but B’nei Yisroel were severely warned and reminded that not following the ways of the Torah will result in strong negative consequences.               As leader of K’lal Yisroel, Moshe was challenged to give mussar, balancing the reality of the seriousness and effort required to keep the Toras Hashem fully, while at the same time encouraging us that it is in our power to do so. The Torah records Moshe rabbeinu used the word “netzavim” (standing) to tell B’nai Yisroel, “You are all standing here today before Hashem…”. Onkeles translates the word as kaymin – lasting.  These words promise that K’lal Yisroel will stand and never cease that that we will receive great reward in Olam Habbah for keeping the Torah. Rabbeinu Bechaya explains that this needed to be promised at that time right after hearing the k’lalos of the tochacha in order to reassure K’lal Yisroel not to give up after hearing all the bad things that will occur for not keeping the Torah because we will always remain. This is why Moshe and the Torah uses language of “standing”.               The statement of “you are standing here today” is so simplistic, yet so deep. Take a breath and realize that you are standing here today, alive with a future of potential greatness. Our ability to be presently standing comes directly from Hashem. We sometimes get so lost and overwhelmed in the complex web of life, which indeed is quite challenging, but by consciously recognizing the fact that we are standing today we could realize that all of the challenges are ones which by definition we are able to overcome and persist. This realization of our past hashgacha p’ratis offers inspiration for the future that no matter what hurdles come our way, if it is in our path then we have the ability and strength required to conquer it. Each person’s raw physical and spiritual makeup contains the potential ability to overcome and conquer every growth-challenge he or she will experience in his or her lifetime. Of course things will be difficult, and certainly we will experience ups and down, however the knowledge that Hashem is orchestrating the world as King, Director, and Controller, is really the most comforting thing possible. This is what Rosh Hashana is all about – the tefillos of malchiyus, zichronos, and shofros effectively remind us that Hashem is the King, that our past endurance stands witness to our future survival, and that we ourselves become merit-worthy through teshuva.               Rosh Hashana, like any new beginning, comes with the opportunity to start anew. Of course really any time we want we are more than invited to hit the proverbial restart button with our teshuva, but new beginnings make it easier for us mentally to notice past trends and make decisions how to move forward. The Medrash Tanchuma  points out that the Torah does not just stay, “You are standing…”, but rather, “You are standing today” in order to convey that just like the day starts dark and then becomes light , so too each and every individuals should always keep in mind that as long as one is standing, no matter how dark a night one may be experiencing – there is daylight for those who make the effort towards it. Of course even putting one’s mind to such growth doesn’t mean it won’t take time. As a moshol, when an equity analyst is tracking trends in the stock market and see growth from point a to point b, it does not mean that there was constant growth for the span in between. Rather, one day it drops tremendously, the next day it rises a little, the next it falls, then a few days up, a few days down, and then at a given point a snapshot is taken to capture the arbitrary trend of the span in between. Although a snapshot could be taken at any time, the period of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are special in the sense that we as a nation all take the snapshot at the same time during this special z’man. Looking back over the past year, certainly there were times of growth and downfalls, achieved goals and major failures, accomplishments and mistakes, but is the trend going up, staying stagnant or going down? Standing is what gives us the reassurance that we are okay and will be okay, the conceptual cycle of the day should inspire us and give us the motivation to pull out of the darkness and work on reaching the daylight.               The matrix created by the broad three relationships in life: The relationship between man and fellow man, man and G-d, and man and himself, is complex indeed. Within each main category exists multitudes of subcategories, and each person has specific challenges within categories and subcategories – whether they be obstacles of the yetzer harah trying to stop us or hurdles that we are supposed to train to overcome. Our job is to make sure not to get bogged down by our failures to the point that we get stuck and no longer have the motivation to move forward. Instead we must find within ourselves the energy to pull ourselves out and move forward through recognizing that we are still standing and that every night has a following day.               May Hashem help us use the opportunity of the yomim noraim this year to stop and think about our past mistakes, be reassured by our current standing in a world where Hashem is King, and be motivated to complete our proverbial days and move from our areas of dark night into the daylight. May this Rosh Hashana bring with it a year full of goodness for ourselves as individuals, and for k’lal Yisroel as a whole!