Rabbi's Sermons

Shabbat shalom!

This week’s portions of the Torah is Nitzavim and we almost conclude the Torah reading for the Jewish year of 5785. Moses described in the previous week’s reading, what was good and bad, and what would come upon the people of Israel, according to its actions and deeds. Now, close to the end of Parashat Nitzavim, in chapter 29, it is written: “אֵלֶּה דִבְרֵי הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה - These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses". Later in verse ¹⁴ it is written: “Not only with you do I make this covenant and this oath, ¹⁵ but with him that stands here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day”.

Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar, an 18^th century Kabbalist and Torah commentator, refers to these verses in his commentary book "Or Chaim", and asks, first, why was an additional covenant necessary, besides the pact, of last week's parsha, Ki Tavo? And if God wanted to add details to the covenant, which He had not mentioned before, why didn't He merge the two covenants into one text? Second, why does the Torah use the word – NITZAVIM? Nitzavim it the modern Hebrew reminds of Hitziazvut - הִתְיַצְּבוּת – being called up to the army. When my IDF draft notice arrived in the mail telling me to Lehitiatzev "להתייצב" – to report for duty at the induction center. I looked at the root of the word and was able to connect it to the Biblical directive of Nitzavim – to show up and report for duty. The Torah could have used a more generic term, such as – NIKHALIM, which translates to – "gathered", or simply – OMDIM, which means "standing". Both words, I think, would be clearer, more common, and not as specific in their sense, as the word – NITZAVIM is. Finally, Ben Atar asks, if the text of the Parasha begins with the text – "⁹ You stand this day all of you before the Lord your God"; why was it necessary, immediately afterwards, to enumerate, in detail, the list of those who exactly includes the covenant of this Brit?: “¹⁰ your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, ¹¹ your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water”. What is the meaning behind such detail?

Rabbi Ben Atar explains, that in fact, there are two covenants. The pact of last week’s Parshat Ki Tavo, and this week’s pact of Nitzavim. The first pact was an individual oath pact, in which each person must assume the responsibility of keeping the rules of the Torah, the mitzvot, and that is why the blessings and curses are expressed in singular, and not in plural. The second covenant in Parashat Nitzavim that is a brit for Klal Israel - the entire congregation of Israel, whose most important part is mutual responsibility as a people. That is the reason why everything in it is expressed in plural: “⁹ YOU ALL (or as you say here Y’all) stand this day of before the Lord your God". This responsibility among the people of Israel is emphasized in verse 29: "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law". On this important and mystical verse, the commentator, Rashi, wrote: "The secret things" – are the transgressions that a person carries out in secrecy, and that no one else can be responsible for it, while for the – “things which are revealed, belong unto us and to our children forever” – refer to eradicate evil from among us all as a group. Rabbi Ben Atar added: “Let each one take responsibility for his Hebrew brother, each according to his ability”.

By indicating – "you all" (or Y’all), the Torah teaches us that we all share this responsibility, and according to each one’s level, each one’s status and each one’s role in the congregation, it will be the portion of their responsibility and their capacity to give this support. That is why, after emphasizing that the duty of responsibility falls on everyone, the Torah indicates, in detail: “¹⁰ your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, ¹¹ your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp…” etc.; to emphasize that each one, according to the size of their position, will have a compatible portion in the responsibility: “Israel arevim ze la ze - Israel, they are all responsible for each other” – is a personal position, and is not a Divine responsibility.

Cultures of the ancient world, Mesopotamia and even Greece, taught a deterministic principle, in which, man was like a puppet in God’s hands, who almost in every case, had an unpredictable behavior. Greek mythology and tragedies emphasize the idea, that man does not have the ability to change his destiny. The same happens with the Hindu and Buddhist concept of karma, which explains human dramas as the reaction to good or bad actions carried out in the (more or less) immediate past, and not in personal decisions. Based on this theology, the destiny of man's life is dictated without him being able to do anything about it, and without having a choice to resist it. Everything is already predetermined, to accept it with humility.

In an abysmal contrast to this ideology, Parashat Nitzavim, in chapter 30, offers us the famous verses about choices in life: "¹⁵ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; ... ¹⁹ I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose in life, that both thou and thy seed may live".

The Torah teaches a contrary idea, practically a spiritual revolution, placing man as the captain of his life, as the owner of his destiny, with the ability to make definite decisions and be also responsible for his brethren. All of us are daily faced with a constant choices between good and evil, and we must, in all times, make decisions and accept consequences. Each of you always have the freedom to choose, in order to face and assume this personal and communal responsibility. In your decisions, not only is your fate decided, but in many ways, the fate of your family and the fate of this beautiful congregation as well. It is a reminder that we must show up for ourselves and for each other. In this congregation Agudath Achim, you are NITZAVIM!, you are the supporting foundations and you are also responsible for all its members, as a brotherhood!, that is as simple as showing up on Zoom or being present, part of the religious services or supporting our congregation.

In the words of the prophets, we find relevant humanistic messages for the difficult days we are living: war and antisemitism. The words of the prophet Micah Ch. 6 echo, to this day: "⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" The words of the prophet Zechariah Ch. 7, are as relevant as they were in his time: "⁹ Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, ‘Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother. ¹⁰ And oppress not the widow nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart’".

We are only three days away from Judgment Day, Yom Hadin, and it is good to remember that a large part of our actions will be judged under the first, personal covenant, but even more so, under the second covenant, as a group – all of us as a congregation. This second pact is far more significant than the first, because it is based on a scale of values ​​that gives us a sense of pride and hope and keeps us united like a congregation. As we near the close of 5785, a year of great suffering, strife, and war, let us re-examine how we renew our commitment to be Nitzavim - to show up, to serve, to build, and be built.

Shabat Shalom!

Rabbi David Laor

September 19^th 2025