We are not alone

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. 30:11-14 “Now this teaching is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask ‘Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea so that you have to ask ‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?’ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.”

           We read this parasha just a few days before Rosh Hashanah this year, and these verses underscore the partnership we have with God at this season.  

            “This teaching” refers to the Torah as given – the work of God. It tells us what to do, but not necessarily how to do it. The “how to” is within the province of human beings. The Torah was revealed to Israel at a time and place now long lost to history. Whether or not the story of Mt. Sinai is history or myth, there is little doubt that the Written Word evolved over time as men (mostly men) attempted to apply its lessons to the world they lived in. It is a continuing effort.

            The Talmud displays time and again that “how to” obey God’s commands was debated, and often left unresolved. One principle was clear nevertheless: all who contributed to the debate merited praise. Sometimes, a consensus emerged. At other times, different opinions predominated.  That is certainly the case today.

            The great Sage Rabbi Yehoshua believed that man’s interpretation was the key factor, basing his opinion on the text here: “The Torah is not in heaven.” According to the Talmud (BT Bava M’tzia 59b), when God heard Rabbi Yehoshua’s statement, “God smiled and stated, ‘My children have triumphed over Me.’”

            As this parasha reminds at the outset, we stand together, and we are not alone. We look into ourselves, we look towards others, and we look for God. We look at the past, present and future with hope. When we stand together and when we contribute to debate in the name of God, God smiles at us. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, particularly this year, we need that smile. 

A Tochacha for our times

Ki Tavo

Deut. 26:1-29:8

 

Précis: The parasha contains numerous religious mandates 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 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.

 

 Deut.28:15-68 “But if you do not obey the Lord your God…all these curses shall come upon you…Cursed shall you be in the city and cursed in the country...Cursed shall be the issue of your womb…The Lord will make pestilence cling to you… The skies above your head shall be copper and the earth under you iron…The Lord will strike you with madness, blindness, and dismay…In the morning you shall say, ‘if only it were evening’ and in the evening you shall say ‘If only it were morning….'”

           

            These verses include the curses of the tochacha, (the “Admonition.)”  They are a paragon of threat and fear. This year, I have attempted a new tochacha, relevant to our times:

           

            "Cursed shall you be by disease, by hunger, by floods, and by fires;

            Cursed shall you be by your failure to maintain the Earth’s beauty and purity;

            Cursed shall be your nation with intolerance, hatred, inequity, and fear of the stranger;

            Cursed shall be your leaders who fail to agree on measures to sustain your nation and all of its people;

            Cursed shall you be by your failure to acknowledge truth and clinging to false prophets of conspiracies;

            Cursed shall you be with unending strife between Israel and its neighbors;

            Cursed shall you be in your going out and in your coming in; you will fear to hold those most dear to you, and you shall fear for your health and for the health of those you love.”

           

            Fear is an incredibly powerful emotion. It can paralyze us. One of the ways we can overcome fear is through unity with others, now made more of a challenge by Covid.

            Nevertheless, we can believe that by living good, moral and ethical lives that the worst will not happen, and that the curses we face can be eliminated by our hope and by our actions. In this time leading up to Rosh Hashanah, we can focus on our dreams and blessings (in my case, sharing my wedding anniversary with the one I love) instead of our fears. FDR famously said that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” 

               We delude ourselves by ignoring the real curses now upon us. In one way, however, FDR was correct: fear can be our worst enemy. We must recognize that the road ahead will be treacherous and difficult, but as our tradition reminds us, with repentance, prayer, and acts of loving-kindness, we can together overcome the severe decree.