Nitzavim – Peninim on the Torah

ובחרת בחיים למען תחיה אתה וזרעך

And you shall choose life so that you will live, you and your offspring. (30:19)

We often make a mistake, thinking that one’s personal decisions affect him – and only him: “It is my life, and I will live it the way I want to live.” The Torah intimates that such declarations are not only selfish; they are foolish. One does not live only for himself. (One who does is not really living. He is merely existing.) We have responsibilities to our children – present and future. For every choice that we make, we must factor in whether we are prepared or have the right to impose on our children the ramifications of the lifestyle…

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כי קרוב אלך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5785

Rather, the matter is very near to you – in your mouth and in your heart – to perform it. (30:14)

A quiet tragedy plays itself out in the lives of many – not in failure, but in refusal to even take that step forward to begin. We are filled with excuses (some call it rationalizations): “It is just not me;” “I am not cut out for that;” “I cannot wrap my head around it;” “It rubs me the wrong way.” Obviously, we became more creative in excusing our failure to even try. For some, it is a fear of failure; for others, it is discomfort with initiating change, for yet others making up one’s mind is too difficult, too demanding,…

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אתם נצבים היום כלכם לפני ד'

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5785

You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem. (29:9)

Rashi cites Chazal (Tanchuma 1), who explain the juxtaposition of Nitzavim upon Parashas Ki Savo. When the people heard the frightening litany of the ninety-eight curses which comprised the (second) Tochachah, Admonition, they turned colors from fright at what appeared to them to be a limited likelihood of a positive future. Moshe Rabbeinu told them: You are all here today, despite having angered Hashem a number of times. Horav Yaakov Neiman, zl, explains that the Torah’s wording, nitzavim kulchem, standing/all of you, is deliberate and profound. It does not merely state that the Jewish people stood before Hashem – it…

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אם יהיה נדחך בקצה השמים משם יקבצך ד' אלקיך ומשם יקחך

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5784

If your dispersed will be at the ends of the Heavens, from there Hashem, your G-d, will gather you in, and from there He will take you. (30:4)

Simply, the Torah is teaching us that, regardless of how entrenched the people are in their false beliefs and practices, if they repent, Hashem will welcome them home. Indeed, He will return them to the fold. Alternatively, the Torah is teaching us that, if a Jew’s relationship with his religion is even so minimal that he is barely hanging on to the ends of Heaven, Hashem will take him back. He has not completely revoked his relationship with the religion of his forebears. Every Jew has that pintele Yid, spark of the Divine, the Yiddishe neshamah within him, that regardless…

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הנסתרות לד' אלקינו

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5784

The hidden things are for Hashem, our G-d. (29:28)

People sin. This is a fact of life. Some sin publicly, such as the fellow who has the temerity to show his disregard for the Torah and mitzvos. Some sin privately, often the result of spiritual lapses, personal and internal conflict. Public sins affect society, creating a chillul Hashem, desecration of Hashem’s Name. Such sin requires public repentance in order to expiate the assault on the spiritual, moral compass of the community. Private acts of spiritual betrayal are no different than societal betrayal. We have an obligation to serve Hashem by upholding His mitzvos. To violate our Heavenly trust indicates…

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לא בשמים היא... כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5783

It is not in Heaven… rather, the matter is very near to you – in your mouth and your heart – to perform it. (30:12,14)

The Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Zuta (14:1) relates the following vignette. “Once I (Eliyahu HaNavi) was traveling from place to place when I chanced upon an unlearned Jew. He knew neither Chumash nor Mishnah. He spoke cynically and disparagingly. I asked him, ‘My son, what will you respond to your Father in Heaven on the Day of Judgment?’ He replied, ‘Rebbe, I have an answer for my lack of Torah knowledge. Heaven did not endow me with the knowledge and ability to understand Torah.’ I then asked him, ‘Who taught you how to fashion and tie the nets made from flax…

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אתם נצבים היום כלכם

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5783

You are standing today, all of you. (29:9)

Rashi (quoting from the Midrash) explains the juxtaposition of Atem nitzavim, “You are standing” upon the previous parshah, Ki Savo, which detailed ninety-eight kelalos, imprecations, that would impact the nation if they do not listen to Hashem’s word. When Klal Yisrael heard the curses that would befall them for stepping out of line, they said, “Who can bear these?” Moshe Rabbeinu consoled them; “You are (still) standing today. Although you have catalyzed Hashem’s intense anger, He has not totally destroyed you, and you exist (standing) before Him today.” The Midrash begs elucidation. If the purpose of the kelalos was to…

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כי הוא חייך וארך ימיך

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5782

For He is your life and the length of your days. (30:20)

Hashem is our life. He sustains and infuses us with life. For this alone we should love Him. To do this, we must study His Torah for its sake. Love means to care only for the subject of one’s love – not for any other reason. One who studies Torah for ulterior motives will not come to love Hashem. We love G-d as a result of our love/study of the Torah. The two go hand in hand. Horav Reuven Karlinstein, zl, relates a story that he heard from the son of Horav Shmaryahu Greineman, zl, who never left the side…

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ושבת עד ד' אלקיך ושמעת בקולו

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5782

And you will return to Hashem, your G-d, and listen to His voice. (30:2)

The reason for repentance should be a desire to come closer, to attach oneself to Hashem. This does not mean that teshuvah, repentance, spurred on by a desire to be rid of suffering, or to garner Heavenly blessing, is not effective. It certainly is. Teshuvah is effective. It is only that one who repents because he loves, achieves greater efficacy than one who repents out of fear. Furthermore, there is a designated time when one’s teshuvah is most appropriate and hence achieves greater productivity. During the forty-day period from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur, Hashem waits for us to…

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והיה בשמעו את דברי האלה הזאת והתברך בלבבו לאמר שלום יהיה לי כי בשררות לבי אלך למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5782

When he hears the statement of this oath/curse, he will imagine self-blessings, saying, “Peace will be my lot when I shall follow what my thoughts envision, so that the quenched may be added to the thirsty.” (29:18)

The pasuk addresses the observant Jew who does not believe that Torah study is an absolute requirement. Horav Shimon Schwab, zl, observes that, throughout Tanach, thirst is a metaphor for the Jew’s desire to learn Torah. Torah is compared to water. The Navi Yeshayah (55:1) declares, Hoi kol tzamei la’mayim; “Ho, everyone who is thirsty, go to water.” Chazal comment, “Water is always a symbol for Torah.” Having said this, we understand the pasuk to be intimating that Hashem will not forgive the fellow who is fully satiated (ravah) with his frumkeit, mitzvah observance, considering himself devout and righteous, reasoning…

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ובחרת בחיים למען תחיה אתה וזרעך

And you shall choose life so that you will live, you and your offspring. (30:19)

כי קרוב אלך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו

Rather, the matter is very near to you – in your mouth and in your heart – to perform it. (30:14)

אתם נצבים היום כלכם לפני ד'

You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem. (29:9)

אם יהיה נדחך בקצה השמים משם יקבצך ד' אלקיך ומשם יקחך

If your dispersed will be at the ends of the Heavens, from there Hashem, your G-d, will gather you in, and from there He will take you. (30:4)

הנסתרות לד' אלקינו

The hidden things are for Hashem, our G-d. (29:28)

לא בשמים היא... כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו

It is not in Heaven… rather, the matter is very near to you – in your mouth and your heart – to perform it. (30:12,14)

אתם נצבים היום כלכם

You are standing today, all of you. (29:9)

כי הוא חייך וארך ימיך

For He is your life and the length of your days. (30:20)

ושבת עד ד' אלקיך ושמעת בקולו

And you will return to Hashem, your G-d, and listen to His voice. (30:2)

והיה בשמעו את דברי האלה הזאת והתברך בלבבו לאמר שלום יהיה לי כי בשררות לבי אלך למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה

When he hears the statement of this oath/curse, he will imagine self-blessings, saying, “Peace will be my lot when I shall follow what my thoughts envision, so that the quenched may be added to the thirsty.” (29:18)

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