A New Year Prayer for Unity

Nitzavim

Deuteronomy 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 through 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 they are to make a choice. Moses urges them to choose the blessing, to choose life, so that they may inherit the Land which God has sworn to their forefathers.

Deuteronomy 29:9 -11 “You stand this day, all of you, before Adonai your God -  your tribal heads, your elders, your officials, all the men of Israel; your children, your wives, even the stranger in your camp, from wood chopper to water drawer, to enter into the Covenant of Adonai your God…”

This week we read Nitzavim just a few days before Rosh Hashanah, one of the great gathering holidays for the Jewish People. Joined together in congregations, we have a powerful example of what can be: a sense of Jewish unity.  The verse we review here is a reminder of that unity: k’lal Yisrael. All stand together before God, from the highest to the lowest. It is a Jewish ideal, and is also an American ideal. It is also unfortunately true that our grasp often exceeds our reach. 

Unity is just as important for America, and for now seems beyond our grasp as well. As I write these words, we are just 11 years removed from "9/11." The spirit of American national unity which appeared possible at that time now seems somehow quaint, perhaps lost for good. Consensus and compromise, once the hallmarks of our democracy, have become highly charged negative words in the current American political patois.  

            Israel is not much more better off, with deep political divisions of its own.The nature of coalition government in the State of Israel requires at least some cooperation, but the price is high. Recent events have underscored the deep divides between different parts of Israeli society, religiously, socially, and politically.

            Finally, there is an unfortunate growing lack of unity between Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora. Polls indicate a decrease in support for Israel among Jews who live outside of the Land, and among the more politically active, the importance of Israel has lost priority all too frequently to other issues.

            There is a famous statement from Kohelet (Ecclesiastes): “There is nothing new under the sun” (1:9). Divisions among Jews is nothing new. It is so ingrained that it is a source of humor (two Jews, three opinions). Severe challenges to unity have existed from our earliest days and continue today. But as this verse reminds us, we Jews have also managed to stand together before God to accept a Covenant. Our upcoming High Holy Day liturgy is imbued with the concept of unity: we confess, publicly, and acknowledge the sins which “we” have committed.

This verse reminds us that unity among the Jewish People remains a possibility. This is also true for America, for our congregations, our families, and our communities. May the coming New Year be one of increasing unity for all of us. 

Connecting to the Natural World

Ki Tavo

Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8

Précis: The parasha contains numerous religious concerns regarding the formation of a civil and moral community (including tithes of first fruits and tithes to support the Levites). The People are promised that if they follow God’s instructions, they will be transformed into a “holy people.” They are further instructed that they have a choice in their own destiny: there are blessings and curses (the “Admonition”), and they must to choose between the two - and take the consequences. The parasha ends with Moses reminding the People about all that God had done for them in bringing them from Egypt, providing sustenance, defeating their foes, and giving them the Land.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which Adonai has given you, and dwell there, that you will take the first fruit of the ground…and place it in a basket...and go to a place that Adonai will choose…And you will come to the priest…and say to him, 'my father was a wandering Aramean, and he went to Egypt, and there became a great nation…And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us…and we cried to Adonai…and He heard our voices…and brought us forth with a strong hand…and brought us to this place, flowing with milk and honey…and now I have brought the first of the fruit of this land which You, Adonai, have given me' ...And you will rejoice in all that Adonai has given you…”

We set the stage: the Land has been (or will have been) conquered, and each tribe has been allocated its holdings (except, of course, for the tribe of Levi). The farmers have spread over the land, sown their crops, and planted their trees. The harvest approaches, and they are now commanded to bring those first fruits to the Temple as a thankful expression to God.

            These Israelite farmers recite a specified prayer of thanksgiving that ties their sacrifice back to their Exodus from Egypt, now complete with the bestowal of Torah, the gift of the Promised Land, and the success of their initial harvest. The scripted prayer is an historical reminder, and also serves to remind the community of their essential continuing dependence on God.

            Rabbi Avraham HaKohen Kook, a principal leader of the Religious Zionist Movement in the early 20th century, taught that agriculture in the Land of Israel has the ability to unify the Jewish People. He explains that the ceremony of the first fruits makes the connection of the People to the Land, and that the farmers are due the praise of their fellow citizens. Rogers and Hammerstein taught us in Oklahoma that” the “cowboy and the farmer should be friends.” Rav Kook taught us that the urban dwellers had to respect the farmers and recognize their contribution to the national enterprise. It’s not surprising that many of the “intellectual class” among early Zionist immigrants also thought that getting one’s hands dirty in agriculture was an activity in which all should be engaged.

            Today, most of us in America (and Israel) are separated from the sources of our food. We go to supermarkets and purchase canned or packaged produce; the butcher provides us with trimmed and wrapped meats and fowl. Excerpt for the occasional trip to a farm stand or apple picking, we have lost most real connections to the land.

In this light, I’m so proud that my daughter Liz, currently a culinary student, has taught me the importance of farm-to-table food preparation. While it’s not necessarily a direct corollary to Rav Kook’s guidance, there is a theme: it’s a Jewish ethical mandate to recognize the connection between ourselves and the natural world, and it is our responsibility to thank God for His fruits and the farmers who toil to provide the bounty to us. It’s also a reminder for those of use with close connections to synagogues that an understanding of where the food we serve comes from (and how it is produced) is a matter of real importance.