Be strong

Vayeilech

Deut. 31:1-31:30

Précis: The Israelites are instructed to annihilate the seven Canaanite nations and take possession of the Promised Land. The death of Moses approaches, and he transfers his mantle of leadership to Joshua as his successor. Moses orders regular reading of the Law, and then transfers the written Torah into the hands of the Levites for safekeeping in the Ark of the Covenant.

Deut. 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage; be not in fear or in dread of them; for Adonai, your God Himself marches with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.” 

            This parasha is read on Shabbat Shuvah (Sabbath of Return), the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  Having reminded the People that God would be with them in their conquest of the Land, Moses urges them to be brave and cheerful. According to the Sforno, a medieval Italian commentator, the phrase “He will not fail you” applies in times of war. The phrase “not forsake you” applies to times of peace. The Sforno reminds us that God is with us, in time good or bad.

            A lesson for today is thereby noted. We live in fearful times, when forces of darkness threaten much of the world, when Israel is beset by fearsome enemies, and when Americans question the ability of our political institutions to provide us with our aspirations for unity and equality. We need to remember, as this verse tells us, that God is a constant protector, during good times and challenging times.      

            When we read this on Shabbat Shuvah, we are reminded that in our personal lives repentance is always possible, because God does not forsake us.

            May God continue to march with us, may we be strong and courageous, and may the New Year provide opportunities to you, your families, our country, and the Jewish People for t’shuvah.

Returning

Nitzavim

Deut. 29:9 -30:20

Précis: Moses continues to address the People: You stand (nitzavim) this day before Adonai. In his final words to the People, Moses recounts the wonders Adonai had done for them, and calls upon them to remain loyal to God by observing the Covenant. The extent of the relationship is explained: it will survive exile and captivity with a return to the Land. The Torah is an “open book” that is accessible to all. A blessing and a curse have been set before the People, and Moses urges them to choose the blessing, to choose life.

Deut. 30:3-4 “Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. He will bring you together again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you.”  

Mychal Springer has written (Torah from JTS, 9/29/16) that Nitzavim speaks profoundly about t’shuvah (repentance) which is particularly appropriate as we approach Rosh Hashanah. We see in these verses both a literal and figurative attempt to return to God. When we repent with all of our heart and soul, God will gather us again to the Land from which we have been dispersed. Thus, a connection between a return to a life lived according to God’s commands is linked inextricably with a return to the Land we have been promised. As Springer suggests, “Being scattered is a state of disorientation and disconnection.”              

Through t’shuvah, we can achieve a going home, both to God and to the Land. I suggest that in this context, the Land may be something more than a physical location. Through t’shuvah, we can enhance both our lives and our sense of Jewish unity. How? The next verse gives an important clue: even the outcasts are to be gathered up. There is no one so far removed from the Jewish People that it is not within God’s – and our – power to restore them to a place within the Jewish experience.