Be strong and resolute

VaYelech

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. 31:1-11 “Moses went and spoke these things to all Israel. He said to them: I am now one hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer go out and come in, for God has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’ ... ‘Joshua is the one who shall cross before you, as Adonai has spoken….Be strong and resolute’…Moses wrote down this Teaching and gave it to the priests, sons of Levi, who carried the Ark of Adonai’s Covenant…and instructed them as follows: ‘When all Israel comes to appear before Adonai…you shall read this Teaching aloud in the presence of all Israel.’”

           

            We read this parasha on Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a time of intense introspection. God has told Moses that his greatest desire, to enter the Land at the head of the People, has been denied and that the leadership has been transferred to a new generation and a new individual. Moses knows that he will die without reaching the goal he has spent more than 40 years seeking. He encourages his successor, and encourages the entire People to study Torah.

            On Rosh Hashanah, we read the prayer “unitanef tokef” in which we ask, painfully, who shall live and who shall die, who shall prosper and who shall not prosper. It is a prayer which Moses did not need for himself, knowing full well that at age 120, his life was about to end. He transfers leadership and he imparts courage to all of the People,

            As we approach the Day of Judgment, we can ask whether these 10 days of awe provide sufficient time for us to really achieve t’shuvah – repentance – to avoid the “severe decree.” Yes, our tradition says. “Be strong and resolute” in the eternal battle between good and evil, between satisfaction and a resolve to live better, to love more, and to live lives worth living in the year to come.

            I extend my best wishes for a g’mar tov, a good and fitting conclusion to your personal journey in this New Year.

The Strength of Unity

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. 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 woodchopper to water drawer, to enter into the covenant of Adonai  your God…”

            Arnold Eisen, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary has written (JTS Weekly Torah 9/19/14) that these opening verses of the parasha “are distinguished by remarkable inclusivity….whether rich or poor, men or women, old or young, high or low in the social order, even “the stranger within your camp.” Everyone is part of the “you” with whom the “Lord your God” is entering into covenant. What is more, the pact includes those present “this day,” as well as members of generations to follow, and of generations past, who are not present; those standing near and those far away.”

            I read these words at a time when the United States is engaged in a political debate of the kind I have never before experienced. One major party candidate seeks to unify, the other major party candidate seeks to divide. I also read these words when we have unprecedented news coverage of the scourge of young black men being slain by police, while police and other public safety officers are being themselves targeted. Professional athletes are scorned for not honoring our national flag by some, and praised by others for their exercise of free speech which that flag represents.

            It has become a cliché that the American people are politically polarized as never before in living history, to the point where making sure the “enemy” fails becomes more important than seeking the compromises upon which the governance and social contract our country have relied. The word “comprise” has been turned into an epithet by some to signify weakness.

            Finally, there are indeed deplorable people – people who engage in bigotry, homophobia, sexism, anti-Semitism, and Islamaphobia to name a few – who feel it is now “okay” to come out of their dark closets because they need no longer need to be “politically correct.” My friends, what some call “politically correct” is in fact tolerance and simple decency and respect for others.

            Our parasha this week stands for what Chancellor Eisen calls “remarkable inclusively.” That inclusivity is what was and should be the highest attribute of the American ethic as well, from the Founding Fathers to Emma Lazarus’ poem on the Stature of Liberty to Ronald Reagan’s references to the “city on the hill.”

            Since we read these words just a few days before Rosh Hashanah, I think they call upon us to examine our own thoughts and actions, and to consider how we can find the strength to create an American society where all - whether rich or poor, men or women, old or young, high or low in the social order, even the stranger- are treated with respect, dignity, and the recognition that we are all create in the image of God.