There is something extraordinarily profound about the opening of this week’s Parsha, Parshas Nitzavim-Vayelech. Unlike many parshios that start with Vayomer or Vayidaber or a few common phrases, this week’s parsha begins with words to which we must take heed. Atem – You all, Nitzavim – are standing, Hayom -this day, Coolchem – all of you, Lifnei Hashem – in front of Hashem.
It's powerful, yes because we are on the cusp of the Yomim
Noarayim, on the days when we stand before the Sovereign Judge and ask that He
see us with favor. But it is also powerful because it specifies “All of you”
and “This day.” The unity that we all so frequently pontificate about is
something necessary everyday, and Devarim 29:9 immediately reminds us of the
tremendous power of our unity.
The opening of the parsha goes on to express who is included
in “all of you”: men, women, and children; Jews by birth and “Jews by choice”; and
those who seem, in some eyes, to be the lowest level of society. Every
descendant – physical and spiritual - of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov is
included in coolchem because everyone of these neshamos understands the trials
and tribulations that took us out of Mitzrayim, out of the narrow straits of
the world, and separated us from the nations. Then the Torah reminds us “And
you saw their abominations and their repugnant idols of wood and stone, silver
and gold which were with them” (29:16).
It is a strange pasuk – which might be why it is a fairly
well-known one. And where once we understood this pasuk to refer to those who
worshiped idols – which were a threat to our nation in the days before the
Anshei Knesses Hagadola davened for the removal of the taiva for avodah zara -
it came to be understood as a reference to Christianity and Islam – wood or the
cross and stone for the Black Stone of Mecca.
Just as the commentators understanding of the idols of wood
and stone, silver and gold passed the test of time as the Western World was
dominated by the other Abrahamic religions, so too we can look at our world
today – a world in which religion seems to bear a political role far beyond
belief systems – and recognize the necessary warning of abominations.
As the US Presidential election approaches, Jews in the
country with the second largest Jewish population* in the world need to decide
for whom to vote, and the choice – at least from my perspective – seems
impossible. The country has polarized to the right and to the left. To the left
is stone. The stone is a cold heart that finds it difficult to acknowledge the
atrocities committed on October 7th or to sympathize with Jewish
students harassed on their college campuses. To the left are people who have
embraced the rallying cries of the anti-Israel protesters and don’t even
understand the murderous meaning of “From the river to the sea.” To the left is
the delusion of safety among people who claim to have no bias but who have been
empowering anti-Semitism for years.
To the right is wood. To the right are people who speak with
fiery rhetoric about protecting Israel’s right to exist, but who, more and
more, have been open to embracing men and women with deeply troubling beliefs.
To the right are people who sound trust-worthy but whose values, historically,
lean toward defining Jews as other.
The idols of wood and stone are still with us today, still
luring us into trouble. The antidote to those troubles, however, has already
been stated. “You are all standing this day before the Lord, your God…”
(Devarim 29:9). Hayom – this day – tells us that this pasuk is important in
every era. Coolchem – all of you – tells us, once again, about our most
powerful weapon, which is Jewish unity. Our weapon is Nitzavim, which means to
stand in an upright position.
Obviously, it is important to vote in the national election
- That is one’s right and duty as a citizen. But as a Jew, it is most important
that we stand together, stand proud of who we are, and, most significantly,
remember that we stood before Hashem and we continue to stand before Hashem.
In a few more days, it will be Rosh Hashana (when we will
literally be standing all day…lol) 5785. I think it is fair to say that 5784
was a year in which Hashem made it clear that our place, the place of the
Jewish people, is neither to the right nor the left. Our place is outside of
politics because our job is to remember and uphold our covenant with Hashem.
May this Shabbas be restful and the upcoming Rosh Hashana
usher in a new year that sees victory and peace.
*possibly the first by a few thousand different according to
the Jewish Virtual Library
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