#Nitzavim & Vayelech

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[eretzyisrael]

STANDING BEFORE GOD

"You are standing today - all of you - before the Lord your God…." (Deut. 29:9) At the end of his life, Moses tells the Jewish people that they are standing before God, entering into His covenant and pledging to follow His laws. Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman (1914-2017) asks, “In truth, every one of us is constantly standing before God; if so, what is the great significance that Moses had to inform the Jewish people that they were specifically standing before God at this point in time?" Rabbi Moshe Kormornick answers that while it is true that we are constantly standing before God and He is aware of our every action, there are certain times when we are especially close to the Holy One. Imagine a land governed by a benevolent ruler; everybody in the land is under his watch. Now imagine a subject who chooses to devote his life to the king’s service. He lives on the palace grounds, is known by the king personally, fully dedicates himself to serving the king, and in return he is well cared for. When Moses tells the Jewish people that they are standing before God, he is telling them that they will no longer be mere subjects of the King, but rather loyal servants, standing “before God” in a new and unprecedented manner.  Let us commit to seeking a deeper relationship with the King of Kings, to lovingly serve Him in all our ways and be lovingly cared for in return. 

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Nitzavim-Vayelech

וְלֹ֥א אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְבַדְּכֶ֑ם אָֽנֹכִ֗י כֹּרֵת֙ אֶת־הַבְּרִית הזאת וְאֶת־הָֽאָלָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת: כִּי֩ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֨ר ישׁנו פֹּ֗ה עִמָּ֨נוּ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד הַיּ֔וֹם לפני יְהֹוָה אֱלהֵ֑ינוּ וְאֵ֨ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵינֶ֛נּו פֹה עִמָּנו הַיּוֹם: But not only with you am I making this covenant and this oath, but with those standing here with us today before the Lord, our God, and [also] with those who are not here with us, this day. (Devarim 29:13-14)

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Jonathan Sacks z"l: Leadership: Consensus or Command? NITZAVIM-VAYELECH

Jonathan Sacks z”l: Leadership: Consensus or Command? NITZAVIM-VAYELECH The great transition is about to take place. Moses’ career as a leader is coming to an end, and Joshua’s leadership is about to begin. Moses blesses his successor. Then God does. Listen carefully to what they say, and to the subtle difference between. This is what Moses says: “Be strong and courageous, for you must go…

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Register Now for Today's Rebbe Nachman on the Parsha Class

Register Now for Today’s Rebbe Nachman on the Parsha Class

Tuesdays at 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT, 9:30 AM PT NEW!!! One-time click here for Free Registration to Attend all Tuesday Radiant Torah Parsha Classes https://tinyurl.com/9pjym2dm After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You must register once to attend any/all upcoming Radiant Torah Parsha classes on Tuesdays. This…

[rebbestorah]

Creating Bridges

On parshat  Nitzavim-Vayelech

Mediation, bridges and connections are an important part of life. When we do not have them, we often find oppression, aggression or simply loneliness. Human beings are created to relate to each other and to relate with G-d, but very often the links are hidden, concealed under blankets of ego, self interest and materialism.

The double Torah reading this week expresses the theme of bridges on several levels.

At the beginning of the first reading there is a famous statement about the variety of the Jewish people and the fact that despite this variety, all are one. The Torah lists leaders, heads of tribes, elders, men, women, children, proselytes, hewers of wood and water carriers. All are standing together, unified, says Moses. Some kind of remarkable bonding and linkage is in evidence, dissolving the barrier between the lofty national leaders and the apparently unassuming water carriers.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that towards the end of the double Parshah there is another example of the same concept of bridging and connection.

The Torah describes (Deuteronomy 31:22-26) how Moses finished writing the complete Torah, the original parchment scroll of which we have an exact copy in every Synagogue today. He then gave it to the Levites to put in the Sanctuary, in the Holy of Holies, together with the Golden Ark containing the Tablets of the Law which came from Sinai.

The Rebbe points out that this act provides an important bridge.

The sapphire Tablets of the Law which Moses got from Mount Sinai express an ethereal level of holiness and of Divine teaching. The words of the Ten Commandments were engraved on the Tablets, signifying a special level of unity. The sacred sapphire and the Divine wording were one. The Tablets were kept in the Golden Ark in the Holy of Holies, an awesomely holy place which could only be entered on special occasions, such as Yom Kippur.

By contrast, the Torah Scroll is an object which, although very holy, enters the world of human beings. It is housed in the synagogue and regularly read from in public. The sacred words are not engraved, they are carefully and beautifully written on the parchment in ink. The ink letters are separate from the parchment because they carry the Torah teachings into a world of apparent separation.

This means that the Torah Scroll which Moses wrote and which was placed together with the Golden Ark in the Holy of Holies is a bridge for the exalted holiness of the Tablets from Sinai to enter this daily world. Based freely on the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Likkutei Sichot vol. 2, pp. 407-8.

[shiradestin]

Parashat Nitzavim (נִצָּבִים) 5782: Rule of Law -It's Not Across The Ocean, Folks.

Parashat Nitzavim (נִצָּבִים) 5782: Rule of Law -It’s Not Across The Ocean, Folks.

    This week’s Torah portion,Nitzavim (נִצָּבִים),  is the 51st (51/53 or 52, depending on the year: this year, it’s 53…) reading in the annual cycle.  It’s the 8/10th parashah in the book of Dvarim,  (although this parsha is normally read on the same Shabbat as Parashat VaYelech…) with the full reading in Dvarim/.  Nearly the end of the year. I love how Moshe basically tells people, in the…

[rubendariomorales]

Nitzavim (You are Standing) / Vayelech (And He Went) Deuteronomy 29:9(10)–31:30, Isaiah 61:10–63:9, Luke 24:1–12 / Luke 24:13–43 “You are standing [nitzavim] today in the presence of the Lord your … In Joseph's first dream, eleven sheaves (similar to those above) belonging to his eleven brothers bow down to Joseph's sheaf. (Genesis 37:5–8)

That is not the immediate result Joseph had hoped for from a dream of God.

Nevertheless, his prophetic destiny, confirmed by his two dreams (vv. 8–10), gave Joseph the hope he needed to sustain many years of misfortune in Egypt leading up to that destiny.

Our dreams can give us hope, too. And we can see from Joseph’s life that sometimes our dreams have both an immediate result and a long-term outcome. We need the wisdom of God to help us see both, if it is in His will that we know it.

As Joseph said, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Genesis 40:8)

Jewish prayer books (siddurs) contain bedtime prayers for confession, forgiving others, praises for what God has done today, seeking peace and life for the next day, and a blessing that God's glory would illuminate the whole world.

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God Can Converse with Us in Dreams

We might think that dreaming is a one-way communication from God to us, but a dream of King Solomon shows us that this is not always the case.

“At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night" and said, "Ask what I shall give you.” (1 Kings 3:5)

Solomon asked for “an understanding mind to govern Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.” (1 Kings 3:9)

Our Father in heaven loves to bestow wisdom, especially on those who cherish it more than riches and honor. So, He gave Solomon wisdom and discernment (an immediate result) like no other king ever had, and he went on to pen the great books of wisdom: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (a long-term outcome).

At times, we too can interact in our dreams and perhaps move our destiny ever so slightly. We may even receive interpretation of the imagery in the dream itself.

For instance, after Daniel dreamed of four beasts, he wrote:

“I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things.” (Daniel 7:15)

Daniel lived a rich life of dreams (while sleeping) and visions (while awake) and was given much wisdom in the interpretation of them, such as this magnificent Messianic dream given to a pagan king.

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The Stone That Became a Mountain

“The stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:35)

Sometimes dreams that are meant for us can be given to the most unlikely people.

God has given many signs, prophecies, allusions, and metaphors to both Jews and Gentiles throughout Scripture about the Messianic kingdom to come.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon received such a sign—a statue in a dream made out of four metals and clay as shown in the image above. He tried to get an interpretation of this image from the wisest men in his land.

“No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked,” Daniel told the king, “but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.” (Daniel 2:27–28)

The God of Israel revealed to Daniel that the metals represent kingdoms that would be utterly smashed into oblivion by a divine stone, as if they were “chaff on a threshing floor.”

This imagery has eternal implications for every person.

As you read the full dream and its interpretation in Daniel chapter 2, pray about the spiritual implications of this dream to your life.

Consider the stone's current trajectory on becoming a mountain, a kingdom that fills the whole earth, and what your role in it is.

[bentzis]

Egocentric Theology (Nitzavim-Vayelech)

Egocentric Theology (Nitzavim-Vayelech)

The egoism which enters into our theories does not affect their sincerity; rather, the more our egoism is satisfied, the more robust is our belief. -George Eliot

Moses is near the end of his monumental discourse, conveying the word of God to the nation of Israel about to enter the Promised Land. He touches on multiple themes and a plethora of…

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Don't Stop Moving!! - Parshat Nitzavim & Vayelech

[eretzyisrael]

Parashat Nitzavim - Vayelech

(You Are Standing-And He Went)

In the Torah portion Nitzavim, Moses describes the Covenant between God and the Israelites, urging the Israelites to uphold the Covenant and honor the Torah so that they may be rewarded with life in the Land of Israel. In Vayeilech, Moses concludes his speech to the Israelites, blesses Joshua, and instructs the community to gather every seven years to read publicly from the Torah. God predicts the eventual straying of the Israelites.

FULL SUMMARY FOR NITZAVIM FULL SUMMARY FOR VAYEILECH

TORAH READING

Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

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Nitzavim-Vayelech

וְאָמַ֞ר הַדּ֣וֹר הָאַֽחֲר֗וֹן בְּנֵיכֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָק֨וּמוּ֙ מאחריכם וְהַ֨נָּכְרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָבֹ֖א מֵאֶרץ רחוֹקָה ו֠רָא֠וּ אֶת־מַכּ֞וֹת הָאָ֤רֶץ הַהִוא֙ ואת־תַּ֣חלֻאֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר־חִלָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה בּה: גָּפְרִית ומֶ֘לַח֘ שְׂרֵפָ֣ה כָל־אַרְצָהּ לא תִזָּרַע֙ וְלא תַצְמִחַ וְלֹא־יַֽעֲלֶ֥ה בה כָל־עֵ֑שֶׂב כְּמַהפֵּכַ֞ת סדֹ֤ם וַֽעֲמֹרה אדמָ֣ה וּצְבוֹיִ֔ם אֲשׁר הָפַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה בּאפוֹ וּבַֽחֲמָתֽוֹ: And a later generation, your descendants, who will rise after you, along with the foreigner who comes from a distant land, will say, upon seeing the plagues of that land and the diseases with which the Lord struck it: Sulfur and salt have burned up its entire land! It cannot be sown, nor can it grow [anything], not [even] any grass will sprout upon it. It is like the overturning of Sodom, Gemorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overturned in His fury and in His rage. (Devarim 29:21-22)

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Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks -How to Renew a Nation (Nitzavim – Vayelech 5780)

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks -How to Renew a Nation (Nitzavim – Vayelech 5780)

The Talmud gives an ingenious reading to the line, “Moses commanded us a Torah, as a heritage of the congregation of Israel.” Noting that there are 613 commands, and that the numerical value of the word Torah is 611, it says that in fact Moses gave us 611 commands, while the other two – “I am the Lord your God,” and, “You shall have no other gods beside Me,” (the first 2 of the 10 commandments) –…

[israelseen1]

Jonathan Sacks z"l - To Renew our Days NITZAVIM, VAYELECH

Image Credit: Yoram Raanan http://www.yoramraanan.com http://www.facebook.com/RaananArt Jonathan Sacks z”l – To Renew our Days NITZAVIM, VAYELECH The moment had come. Moses was about to die. He had seen his sister Miriam and brother Aaron pre-decease him. He had prayed to God – not to live forever, not even to live longer, but simply, “Let me go over and see the good land beyond the…