Nitzavim

📜 The Story

Parshat Nitzavim opens with a special and moving moment. Moshe gathers the entire people of Israel together, from the leaders and judges down to the woodcutters and water drawers, so that everyone can stand at the same gathering and enter into a covenant with Hashem. The opening verse says 'You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem your God,' and everyone stands together, young and old, men and women.

Moshe tells the people something amazing. This covenant is not only with the generation standing there that day, but also with all future generations, even children not yet born. Every Jew in every era belongs to this covenant, and that is why Nitzavim teaches us how important each and every person truly is.

Moshe warns the people not to worship idols and to keep the words of the Torah with a full heart. He says a famous verse, that the hidden things belong to Hashem our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children forever, to fulfill the words of this Torah. Hidden matters belong to Hashem alone, but what is known and clear to us is our responsibility to keep.

Moshe then speaks about teshuvah, repentance. Even if the people of Israel were to stray from the Torah's path and be exiled from their land, they can always return with a full heart, and Hashem will accept them with great love and bring them back to the Land of Israel. This is one of the most beautiful sources in the Torah about the power of repentance.

The parsha ends with an uplifting and strengthening message. The Torah is not far away in the heavens or across the sea, but very close, in your mouth and in your heart to do it. Moshe sets before the people a choice between life and good, and death and evil, and gives them the famous words, choose life, always choose life and goodness.