Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5768

Commentary by

Yosef (Oscar) Juarez

Edited by Benny Powers

In this portion, Moses speaks to the people before they enter into the land. He stresses the fact that during this time we are all standing before the king, as the verse says: “29:10 your young children, your women, and your convert who is within your camp…” During this time (הי) Hashem evaluates the actions of everyone standing there, including women, children, and converts. Moses also speaks about another two groups of people who also stand before (הי) Hashem.

“29:14 but with those standing here with us today…”

This refers to all the souls of the people who would later convert to Judaism throughout history. This shows that even though, none of the nations accepted the Torah when (הי) Hashem offered it (except for the Jews), (הי) Hashem nevertheless left the door open to his covenant so that whom ever wishes to enter his covenant may be able to do so. It is, however, up to us to allow Him to be our G-d, as it is written: “29:12 in order to establish you this day as His people, and that He will be your God.” [Emphasis added]

It is easy to go about our daily lives with out having a true consciousness that G-d is there with us behind everything that happens for good or bad. As our days, weeks, months and years go by; the question we have to ask ourselves is “are we making (הי) Hashem the G-d of our lives?” Have we truly allowed Him to establish us as His people? 

 (הי) Hashem warned us about the idols that separate us from Him when we lived in Egypt. Our rabbis teach us that Egypt is representative of the exile, everything that has to do with physicality and immediate pleasure. as the verse states: “29:15 For you know how we dwelled in the land of Egypt, and how we passed among the nations through which you passed. 16 And you saw their abominations and their repugnant idols…were with them.” Which are the idols that surround our lives?

“29:17 Perhaps there is among you a man, woman, family, or tribe, whose heart strays this day from the Lord, our God, to go and worship the deities of those nations…”

Many times we feel as if there was no peace in our lives, as if we are just jumping from one problem to the next; we see our selves working like mules and find it hard to see the accomplishments that we expected. In the verse that follows, (הי) Hashem explains the reason for this effect.

“29:18 And it will be, when he [such a person] hears the words of this oath, that he will bless himself in his heart, saying, "I will have peace, even if I follow my heart's desires…the Lord's fury and His zeal will fume against that man, and the entire curse written in this book will rest upon him, and the Lord will obliterate his name from beneath the heavens. (הי)”

“29:28 The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God, but the revealed things apply to us and to our children forever: that we must fulfill all the words of this Torah.”

This is the importance of hearing the shofar; it’s a direct message to our soul that tells us, “Hey! Wake up! The king is coming! Are you ready? Are your vestments clean, your table set?” (הי) Hashem says to us “I’m going to help you. I will take care of the things you don’t see. You just have to worry about what you do see.” As David HaMelech (the king) use to say:

Psalms 27 “…in this I trust. One [thing] I ask of the Lord, that I seek-that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to see the pleasantness of the Lord and to visit His Temple every morning. That He will hide me in His tabernacle on the day of calamity; He will conceal me in the secrecy of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock. And now, my head will be raised over my enemies around me, and I will sacrifice in His tent sacrifices with joyous song; I will sing and chant praise to the Lord. Listen, O Lord, to my voice [which] I call out, and be gracious to me and answer me. On Your behalf, my heart says, "Seek My presence." Your presence, O Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your presence from me; do not turn your servant away with anger. You were my help; do not forsake me and do not abandon me, O God of my salvation.”

David HaMelech recognized that. It is why is he was the biggest (Baal Tshuva). He knew that after all (הי) Hashem was behind everything that happened to him no matter how bad it seemed.

In conclusion, one can say that (הי) Hashem is a G-d of mercy and kindness, but he is also a Righteous King. He created this world for us to derive pleasure, however only he knows what is good for us. In our daily lives of chaos and stress it is absolutely difficult to see him.

May our souls be awakened to a true repentance before (הי) Hashem, and may we be merited to have our names inscribed in the book of life this year.

From Jerusalem,

Happy New Year

 שנה טובה

Yosef Juarez