Nitzavim – Page 12 – Peninim on the Torah

“Life and death I have set before you, the blessing and the curse, therefore choose life so that you may live, you and your children.” (30:19)

The word used by the Torah h,,bu – “I have set before you” to describe the two divergent paths which stand before every Jew seems puzzling. This word appears to be appropriate only to the context of blessing, as it shares a root with the word vb,n (present). Why, then, does the Torah use the same verb to apply to a curse, as well? The Shelah Hakadosh extends this question to include the idea of freedom of decision. When one is confronted with two reads, one leading to success, riches, and fame, and the other leading to trials, pain, and…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Nitzavim, 5751

“For this commandment… is not concealed from you… neither is it far off… it is not in heaven… nor is it beyond the sea… But the word is very near unto you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it.” (30:11-14)

It is puzzling to find these distances expressed as such extremes. Why are we told that it is not in heaven nor beyond the sea, but actually it is to be found within us? It should be sufficient to state simply that this mitzvah is not beyond our reach. This statement is, however, far from extreme, and conveys a basic truth. Man is composed of two contrasting entities, the physical and spiritual. He has the ability to soar to the most sublime spiritual heights, or to sink to the nadir of decadence and depravity. Indeed the range of man’s perception…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Nitzavim, 5751

“See, I have set before you this day, (the) life, and (the) good, and (the) death, and (the) bad.” (30:15) – “I have set before you the blessing and the curse, therefore choose life so that you shall live, you and your children.” (30:19)

The Torah clearly equates good and blessing with life, and evil and curses with death. It therefore seems peculiar that the Torah enjoins us to “choose life” with its various fringe benefits as opposed to selecting evil and curses which are compared to death. If this mandate is stated to a G-d fearing and morally upright Jew then the enjoinment to “choose life” is hardly necessary. It is unnecessary to convey this message to a non-believer, for he evidently does not embrace this positive definition of life. We also wonder at the posuk’s sequel, “so that you shall live, you…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Nitzavim, 5751

“To love Hashem your G-d.” (30:20)

The Torah commands us to serve Hashem out of a sense of love and adoration. The Talmud in Nedarim (62a) comments on the above posuk – One should not say, “I will study scripture so that I will be called a wise man, I will study Mishnah so that I will be called a Rabbi, I will study Mishnah so that I will become an elder and sit in the yeshiva.” Rather, learn out of love for Hashem and eventually honor will come. One should not study Torah for personal reasons and ulterior motives, but rather Torah should be studied…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Nitzavim

“If any of you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there will Hashem your G-d gather you, and from there He will take you.” (30:4)

This posuk may be explained in a novel way. Even if one will sink so low in pursuit of gratifying his physical and material desires, thus distancing himself further and further from Hashem, there is still hope for his return. As long as “those that are dispersed” are still “in the uttermost parts of heaven“, they still maintain a thin spiritual link, however flimsy and remote; a spark which can still be stoked, then Hashem will gather them and take them back. The spark of a “yiddishe neshoma” cannot be extinguished.

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“Life and death I have set before you, the blessing and the curse, therefore choose life so that you may live, you and your children.” (30:19)

“For this commandment… is not concealed from you… neither is it far off… it is not in heaven… nor is it beyond the sea… But the word is very near unto you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it.” (30:11-14)

“See, I have set before you this day, (the) life, and (the) good, and (the) death, and (the) bad.” (30:15) – “I have set before you the blessing and the curse, therefore choose life so that you shall live, you and your children.” (30:19)

“To love Hashem your G-d.” (30:20)

“If any of you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there will Hashem your G-d gather you, and from there He will take you.” (30:4)

YEARS

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