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From the Rabbi:
In Parashat Nitzavim we read that we are (29:9) "all standing together before Hashem." (29:14) "Those who are standing here with us this day before Hashem our God and those who are not with us here this day." Appropriate perhaps that much of our congregation will be away this weekend to celebrate with the Stein family. Mazal Tov! But, that does mean that for anyone who is in town, your presence at shul this Shabbat is really appreciated. Please come to all three services if you can.
These passages about including people who aren't physically present is a really critical statement about our shared identity. In many contexts, a person who is not showing up is readily cast out. In football for example, it's fairly simple: If you don't come to practice and show up for games, you're off the team. Period. Similarly, if you don't come to work, you're fired. If you didn't pay your dues, you can't come into the gym. Terms and privileges of membership are fairly straightforward with most groups. But that's not the case here with our covenant. If you don't act Jewish, don't participate in Jewish community, don't show up for the rest of us, you're still a Jew. You're still with us even if you're not with us. You can't ever get cast out. Period.
This means on a practical level that our shared identity makes us responsible for people who aren't acting responsibly to us. It demands of us always to be emotionally the bigger person. Others may not even acknowledge their connection, or "identify with us." Yet we still consider them part of "us." It's easy to understand this dynamic in parent-child relationships. A child may want to ignore their parents, run away, escape or dissociate from their family. But the parent? Your mom is still your mom even if you run away. And, as your mom, when you want to come home, she'll welcome you back. Similarly, (Gen 42:8) "And Joseph recognized his brothers, they however did not recognize him."
When the Torah tells us "you are all standing here today before Hashem," the "before Hashem" is the critical part, and it's not dependent on us. God sees us as all together, no matter what. Our petty grievances and internal conflicts don't change the fact that to God, we're all His children. As the prophet Malachi puts it, (2:10) "Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us all? Why do we break faith with one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors?" Who do we think we're fooling by pretending we're not together?
As we prepare to stand before Hashem on Rosh Hashanah, every year Parashat Nitzavim reminds us that no matter what divisions we may feel in our hearts, no matter how much pain, blame or heartbreak we may be carrying, in God's sight we're all in this together. Before Hashem, there's no us and them, just a bigger us that may need some resolution in order to accept our us-ness. Good thing we've still got a few more days...
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Shlomo
Classes This Week
NOTE: The Thursday evening class is paused until further notice.
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