This week we are blessed with a double Torah portion, Nitzavim-Vayeilech. These portions often appear as a pair on the Shabbat that falls right before Rosh Hashana, as it does this year. Why do we have double portions sometimes? In the Jewish calendar, different years have different numbers of weeks, and different numbers of Shabbatot, so there is a kind of flexibility built into the schedule of Torah readings to make sure that we always get through the entire Torah ever year. In a year with fewer weeks, we have double portions like this one, but in a year with more weeks, Nitzavim and Vayeilech could each have their own week.
Yet another fun fact that has to do with this week's Torah portion is that when it stands alone, Vayeilech is the very shortest Torah portion that there is!
As we have mentioned in the past few weeks here on our Shabbat Sha-blog, we are in the book of Deuteronomy which is the last book in the Torah. And the book of Deuteronomy is mainly made up of a string of very long speeches given by Moses to the people of Israel right before Moses dies and the Israelites enter the land of Israel, the Promised land. This week's Torah portion is no different.
The very first words of this week's Torah portion are, "Atem Nitzavim Hayom Kulchem..." "You stand this day, all of you." The wording of the Hebrew, which we can see in translation in the phrase "all of you," lets us know that Moses is not just addressing a few leaders of the people of Israel, but rather he is speaking to the entire people of Israel as one big group.
But interestingly, the verse continues to say, "and those who are not with us here this day." It seems like the words of God, being spoken by Moses, are intended not only for all the people to whom Moses is talking at that very moment, but also to the descendants of those people. Meaning, not just them, but their children, and their children's children. The laws that God gives the people through Moses, the teachings and rules--all of these are not just meant for the ancient Israelites, but they also apply to the generations to follow--including us!
In fact, Midrash Tanchuma takes this a step further to say that not only were the ancient Israelites physically present, not only were they actually there, both at Sinai and then hearing this series of speeches by Moses at the entryway to the Promised Land. But that we, too, were there. The children of those people at Sinai and hearing Moses, then their children, and their children... all the way down to us. You were. Your brothers and sisters were. Your parents, your grandparents. Even people who are not born Jewish but convert to Judaism later in life, they were there because they have Jewish souls just like people who were born Jewish. And everyone with a Jewish soul was there.
This can remind us that we still have a responsibility to learn the Torah, to live righteous and ethical lives, and to do mitzvot. Not just because our parents tell us to, and not just because our religious school teachers and cantor and rabbis tell us to. Because we were there, our souls were there, listening to Moses. Shaking because of the powerful moment. With butterflies in our stomachs because we are so eager and nervous and excited to enter the promised land. Because this is a big responsibility we are being given by God through Moses--to take care of the earth. To live peacefully and help bring justice and righteousness into the world. We were there.
Discussion questions:
(1) How do you think the Israelites felt as they were listening to Moses? How did they feel at Sinai when they were given the Torah? How did they feel right before going into the Promised Land?
(2) We just learned that each of us were there at Sinai and there listening to Moses's final speeches. Close your eyes and imagine yourself there. What is it like? Use all of your senses. What do you hear? What do you see? what do you smell? What do you taste? Think about reaching out--what do you touch and what do you feel with your hands?
(3) Do you believe that you were there, or your soul was there? Why or why not?
(4) If Moses was speaking to all of us, to all the generations of Israelites and Jews, what does it change? How would it be different if Moses was only speaking to the ancient Israelites at that moment?
(5) Is it fair that the speech Moses gave told not just the Israelites what their responsibilities were, but also tells us what ours are, too? Tradition teaches that when the Israelites accepted the covenant, they accepted it for future generations too, meaning us. Is that fair? Did anyone ever agree that you would do something without checking with you? Is that okay? How did it feel? How would it feel?
(6) Is there anyone who decides things for your or tells you what to do? Who? Why? What do they decide for you? Is it fair? How does it make you feel?
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