#Nitzavim

[geostatonary]

tonight in torah study, we talked about blessings and curses, unexpected songs and poems, and have a surprise guest appearance by Genesis 4:15

[girlactionfigure]

Shabbat Shalom!

 Blessings for peace and safety and health, for our soldiers to be safe and effective and return home, the complete downfall of our enemies and all our remaining captives to return home quickly, healthy and whole!🎗️

TORAH READING

Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

[eretzyisrael]

YOU CAN DO THIS!

“For this commandment that I command you today, it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in the heavens, so you could say ‘Who can possibly go up to the heavens for us and take it for us, then we’ll hear and perform it!?’ Nor is it across the sea, so you could say 'Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us and take it for us, and then we’ll hear it, and perform it!?' Rather, the Torah is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it.” (Deut. 30:11-1)

Before Moses dies, he exhorts the Jewish people to follow God’s laws and assures them that the task is not too difficult for them to accomplish. Huh?? Living a Torah life requires extensive knowledge as well as significant sacrifice. Especially for those of us who did not grow up religious, the task is indeed difficult! How can Moses say that it’s “not hidden from you and it is not distant” when it often feels impenetrable and beyond our reach?

Rabbi Israel Salanter (1810-1883), the influential founder of the Mussar movement of Torah-based self-improvement, says that we’re looking at teshuva (repentance) the wrong way. We want God to bless us so we try to make big changes. However, when we bite off more than we can chew, we often wind up chewing nothing. Rav Salanter tells us to focus on small things, things that we know we can achieve. Don’t try to undertake the entirety of spiritual transformation all at once. Instead, take one manageable step after another. 

Last year at this time, we followed the advice of Rabbi Avigdor Miller (1908-2001) and started learning Mussar five minutes a day. This is a manageable step that you can do, whatever your schedule or observance level. We recommend Duties of the Heart (Chovos HaLevavos) by Rabbi Bahya ibn Paquda (c. 1050-1100), or The Path of the Just (Mesillas Yesharim) by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707-1746). Both books are available for purchase at Jewish bookstores and Amazon, or read for free at Sefaria.org!

Image: Sunrise at the Kineret (Sea of Galilee)

[estera-shirin]

This is a little different from my usual content, but I wanted to share some excerpts of key HHD texts that are resonating deeply this year.

The first is from Parashat Nitzavim, the Torah portion that we read right before Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays. G-d says to the Israelites:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

I have also been struck by the Haftarah for Yom Kippur, which is longer and reads in part:

“Cry with full throat, without restraint; Raise your voice like a ram’s horn! Declare to My people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sin.

To be sure, they seek Me daily, eager to learn My ways. Like a nation that does what is right, that has not abandoned the laws of its G-d, they ask Me for the right way, they are eager for the nearness of G-d:

‘Why, when we fasted, did You not see? When we starved our bodies, did You pay no heed?’ Because on your fast day you see to your business and oppress all your laborers!

Because you fast in strife and contention, and you strike with a wicked fist! Your fasting today is not such as to make your voice heard on high.

Is such the fast I desire, a day for people to starve their bodies? Is it bowing the head like a bulrush and lying in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call that a fast, a day when G-d is favorable?

No, this is the fast I desire: to unlock the fetters of wickedness, and to untie the cords of the yoke to let the oppressed go free; to break off every yoke.

It is to share your bread with the hungry, and to take the wretched poor into your home; when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to ignore your own kin.

Then shall your light burst through like the dawn and your healing spring up quickly; your Vindicator shall march before you, the Presence of G-d shall be your rear guard.

Then, when you call, G-d will answer; when you cry, [G-d] will say: Here I am. If you banish the yoke from your midst, the menacing hand, and evil speech.

And you offer your compassion to the hungry and satisfy the famished creature—Then shall your light shine in darkness, and your gloom shall be like noonday.

G-d will guide you always—Slaking your thirst in parched places and giving strength to your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose waters do not fail” (58:1-58:11).

[sonia-nicole-levi]

Each one of us is part of the collective effort of humanity to shift the world, from the beginning of time until the Gemar HaTikun, the End of the Correction.

[outreach-by-adellah]

Torah & More - Why Moshe Had to Tell Them to Stop Giving - 17 Adar

In this week’s parsha, Vayakhel, Moshe asks the people of Israel for donations to the Mishkan, including all sorts of valuables like gold, silver, gemstones, and even exotic things like dolphin skins! Normally when people and organizations ask for such extravagant donations, they have a hard time reaching their goals. However, Moshe ended up having exactly the opposite problem, the Jews were so eager to donate that Moshe actually had to command them to stop donating to the Mishkan! He had more than enough:

וַיֹּאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה לֵּאמֹ֔ר מַרְבִּ֥ים הָעָ֖ם לְהָבִ֑יא מִדֵּ֤י הָֽעֲבֹדָה֙ לַמְּלָאכָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה לַעֲשֹׂ֥ת אֹתָֽהּ׃

and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the tasks entailed in the work that יהוה has commanded to be done.”

וַיְצַ֣ו מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיַּעֲבִ֨ירוּ ק֥וֹל בַּֽמַּחֲנֶה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַל־יַעֲשׂוּ־ע֛וֹד מְלָאכָ֖ה לִתְרוּמַ֣ת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הָעָ֖ם מֵהָבִֽיא׃

Moses thereupon had this proclamation made throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make further effort toward gifts for the sanctuary!” So the people stopped bringing:

וְהַמְּלָאכָ֗ה הָיְתָ֥ה דַיָּ֛ם לְכׇל־הַמְּלָאכָ֖ה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת אֹתָ֑הּ וְהוֹתֵֽר׃ {ס}    

their efforts had been more than enough for all the tasks to be done.

There is an interesting parallel to this concept of giving selflessly until being told to stop: the human immune system. When our body senses that an external threat has entered the body (like a virus, bacterium, or allergen), a signal is released by some of our immune cells that the entire immune system needs to be ready to defend the body, just like how Moshe commanded the Jews to begin donating to the Mishkan. Our immune cells then remain active and “battle-ready” for further notice, devoting themselves completely selflessly to the cause of keeping the body safe, just as the Jews were willing to donate even exceedingly valuable items for the benefit of the nation. Finally, our immune system only returns to its resting state when it is given the signal to do so, just as the Jews had to be explicitly told to stop donating to the Mishkan.

The Jewish people parallel a human immune system because every Jew should ideally behave like a completely altruistic part of a single whole. Together, every single Jew makes up a single entity, with a single Jewish soul (Midrash Tanchuma, Nitzavim 1, Zohar, Chelek 2, 97a, etc). You can think of it like cells in a body, or ants in an ant colony. Even though every individual cell or every individual ant has its own awareness and experiences, they are inextricably part of a larger whole, and cannot exist without it - even if they may not be aware of this fact. Jews do not always treat each other like we are part of such a whole, but we should. Just as you would never hold a grudge against one of your immune cells, you should never hold a grudge against another Jew. You would never mistreat your own body parts, so you should never mistreat another Jew. We must all act as our ancestors did in the desert, behaving with the awareness that all Jews are inextricably linked, and part of one divine whole.

Tell me in the tags: What can you do to be altruistic towards other Jews? Do you practice this day to day? How can you try to do so more often?

Jew Joke:  Why do Jewish businessmen always donate to charity? Because they believe not only in Tzedakah, but also in tax deductions!

[yhebrew]

Double PORTIONS in 2024 - Hezbolah & Helene's Hell

Day One of Creation in 2024 is on Sabbath, 25 Elul, September 28, 2024, Standing, When he went. Double Portions – Standing Went – BB Nethanyahu Stands and Went. Parshah 51 Nitzavim (Standing) Deuteronomy 29:9 (10) – 30:20, Isaiah 61:10-63:9 Parshah 52 Vayelekh (He went) Deut 31:1-30, Hosea 14:2 (1) – 10 (9), Micah 7:18-20, Y’oel ;(Joel) 2:15-27 Double Judgments – Evil UN Against Israel + Evil…

[parashapix]

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)

[shalomhaverimorg]

EN HEBREO Y ESPAÑOL -LECTURAS DE LA TORA Y LOS PROFETAS Parasha Devarim Nitzavim Vayelej 2024 -Boletin, Videos, Diapositivas https://www.shalomhaverim.org/Parasha/5784/parasha_devarim_nitzavim_vayelej_2024.htm#google_vignette

[gatewaysorg]

5784-Nitzavim-Vayeilech from Gateways Organization Inc. on Vimeo.

[girlactionfigure]

[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. 

[israelseen1]

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…

[dfroza]

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures

for the 23rd of September 2024 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New Covenant) of the Bible

[The Book of Matthew, Chapter 1 • The Book of Joshua, Chapter 18]

along with Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms with Proverbs 23 and Psalm 23 coinciding with the day of the month, accompanied by Psalm 2 for the 2nd day of Astronomical Autumn, and Psalm 117 for day 267 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

A post by John Parsons:

In our first Torah reading for this week (i.e., parashat Nitzavim), Moses formally gathered the people of Israel together to ratify their covenant with the LORD. Moses then pled with the people "bacharta ba'chayim" - to "choose life" by pursuing the path of obedience to the Torah and its commandments. If the Israelites would do so, they would be blessed and prosper as God’s chosen nation; but if not, they would be subjected to hard exile, persecution, and the threat of utter destruction.

In our second reading (i.e., parashat Vayeilech), Moses announced his impending death and transferred the leadership of the Jewish nation to Joshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ), a type of Messiah who would bring Israel into the promised land. Moses continued his speech but foresaw that despite his appeals, the people would turn away from the covenant, which would cause God’s face to turn away: "And hiding I will hide My face (הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי) on that day, because of all the evil they have committed" (Deut. 31:18). The sages note this verse is grammatically unusual because of the double use of the word "hide." If you do not know that God is "hiding," you will not seek for Him; but if you sense within your heart that God is hiding, you are invited to return to Him, as King David said, "When you said to my heart, 'Seek my face;' my heart said to You, 'Your face, LORD, will I seek' (Psalm 27:8).

In this connection we note that Yeshua often spoke in the form of a parable (παραβολή) to "code" his meaning, to make it accessible only to those who were genuinely willing to make comparisons, to reason analogically, and so on (Isa. 1:18; 1 Cor. 2:13). He used "indirection," allusion, allegory, and "figures of speech" (παροιμία, lit. "[speech] beyond the usual way"), in order to provoke people to explore and ask the hard questions about life... "Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior" (Isa. 45:15).

"For God so loved the world" that He disguised himself as a bondservant to die in shame upon a cross; "God so loved the world" that he became entirely unesteemed -- "despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief" (Isa. 53:3). Yet even Moses foresaw the stupor of the people in relation to the truth of God (Deut. 29:4). Regarding the "hiding of face," in His sovereign judgment God decreed: "They know not, nor do they discern, for he has smeared their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand" (Isa. 44:18). God "gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own devices" (Psalm 81:12; Rom. 1:24); they went "backward and not forward" (Jer. 7:24). This was not a blindness induced by the "god of this world" as much as it was a darkness induced by the flesh and its apathy toward God. The mind became dull and sleepy because it ceased to believe in the miracle - and to realize that God's truth is always something extraordinary, spectacular, and wonderful...

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

Psalm 27:8 Hebrew reading:

Hebrew page (pdf):

Shavuah Tov podcast:

­9.23.24 • Facebook

from Today’s email by Israel365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research