Parshat Nitzavim

From the WUPJ website - a rare occasion, i.e., a written drash by AJ!

Parshat Nitzavim-Vayeilech

14th September 2017

This week’s Torah portion includes the well-known command from God to the Children of Israel:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed.” (Devarim 30:19)

I love these words. They are a simple and clear statement of purpose. They tell us that it begins with us. We must choose to take part, we must involve ourselves in this messy thing called life, we must act! So this week I intended to write about the concept of freedom of choice, and I had the beginnings of what I thought could be an interesting drash that examined the thoughts of the Lubavitcher Rebbe regarding what influences our choices. Then the telephone rang, and I heard the most heart-breaking news:  the night before receiving some important examination results, the child of an old school-friend had just taken their own life. When disease or adversity threaten our lives, we humans fight with such fortitude and tenacity. How could life have become so dreadful that this young person felt that the only way to deal with the pain was to make a permanent exit? How could they feel so alone and unheard? How could they choose death?

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for young people aged 15-24. Adolescence is challenging, and our youth feel overwhelmed and vulnerable. We are losing too many of them. They are not the only ones who feel unable to cope. From gargantuan storms to unstable leaders with access to nuclear warheads, the danger to life around the world is palpable. New political leadership has brought to the fore profound divisions in our society. Daily life is full of stresses, and we often feel unable to find solutions to our problems. These are not 21st century issues. Throughout history we have struggled with the forces of nature, our enemies and our selves.Although we may not know what to do, the Torah does, if we choose to listen.

Last week the parasha commanded us to destroy Amalek. The Children of Israel failed to complete this task, and thus Amalek is still alive today. We may not be able to identify him as a particular person or group. However, Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer, an 18th century rabbi known as the Baal Shem Tov, believed that each time we worry about how God can let terrible things happen in the world, this is Amalek attacking our souls. We are required to wipe out the despair that we feel, this Amalekite poison, we must wipe it from our hearts so that we may serve God with joy, says the BeShT. That makes sense, but how may we follow his teaching?

This week, in the very next portion, God gives us an answer. God says, “Choose life!” Some of us have a sense of God’s presence in our lives, hear this message clearly, and are able to choose. For those of us not blessed in this way, what can we do? Parshat Nitzavim has an answer for us too. God tells us,

“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not too hard for thee, neither is it far off … But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” (Devarim 30:11,14)

These verses shine with a brilliance that brings tears to my eyes. Could it be that simple? Which word is in my mouth and in my heart? Which word has been with me since I was a child? What do I say when I lie down and when I rise up?

SHEMA.

“Shema Yisrael.” Hear O Israel. Pay attention. Listen. For all of us who feel alone. For all who feel unheard.For the child of my friend, and all those we love who are feeling lost. And for ourselves. What if rather than trying to fill the void with words – what if we speak less and listen more? Let the Torah speak. Let God speak. Let us listen to each other, for as we pay attention to another person, we build a connection. As we learn how to hear, we will understand what it is to be heard. And then perhaps, b’chol l’va-vecha, u-v’chol naf-shecha, u-v’chol m’odecha, we will all be able to choose life so we may live. 

Ariel J Friedlander is a teacher and Liberal rabbi working in the UK and Italy.

Notes on Nitzavim

Another religious post from the ravaj. No, not Queens Park Rangers again (o let her enjoy these brief moments of glory). Rather, a short piece on the weekly Torah portion as written for the Liberal Judaism website. Be gentle - her head is still sore from the bus accident the other day!

Parashat Nitzavim

It is all so simple in the Torah:

“Behold, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil ... I command you this day to love Adonai your God ... so that you will live and increase, and Adonai ... will bless you. But if your heart deviates and you do not listen ... you will surely perish ... choose life, that you may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-19)

Obeisance to God is rewarded, and defiance will receive the ultimate penalty. The way to go seems obvious. Yet Maimonides teaches:

“Freedom of choice has been granted to every person ... This concept is a fundamental principle and a pillar of the Torah and its commandments.” (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 5:1)

Why would one choose death? What, then, may we understand the freedom of choice to mean? As Liberal Jews, we will not accept the Biblical statements that present such a polar perspective. We have seen evil prosper in our world, and we cannot accept the death of six million as punishment. The equation does not work, and thus the choice is not clear. The rabbis of the Talmud also questioned the logic of such teaching. They spent much time and space differentiating between suffering that they did see as a direct consequence of sin, and what they called “sufferings of love”. The Tanakh told them:

“Do not despise God’s chastening, nor spurn God’s rebuke; for whom God loves, God rebukes.” (Proverbs 3:11-12)

Should we believe that suffering is a sign of God’s care and attention? The ideal that hovers in our minds and our hearts suggests that love is the triumph of joy over pain. We try so terribly hard not to hurt the people we love – if God truly loves us, why would God cause us to suffer?

Perhaps the problem is that we are looking at what the choices are, rather than what ‘freedom’ means. Is freedom the licence to do as we wish? Or is our will affected beyond our control by the limitations of nature and/or nurture? Each of us may have our own understanding of these questions. All of us, however, will encounter options. We shall have to consider the consequences each one may engender, and we will make a decision.

Our portion this week raises much existential angst. At the same time, it consoles us with these words:

“This commandment which I command you this day, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far away. It is not in heaven, that you shall say: ‘who will go up for us to heaven and bring it to us and make us hear it so we may do it?’ Nor is it across the sea, that you shall say: ‘who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us and make us hear it so we may do it?’ No, it is very close to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

In other words, don’t worry so much, it is really not that difficult! All you have to do is take a good look at yourself, and you will figure out what you have to do. In these days of contemplation that precede the Days of Awe, may we find the clarity of vision that will lead us to choose life and freedom for ourselves, and all the nations of the world.