The Counsel of My Heart

Parshas Netzavim

Posted on September 23, 2019 (5780) By Torah.org | Series: Lifeline | Level: Beginner

 

Our reading this week contains an extraordinary passage, one which is very relevant for the upcoming High Holy Days. Moshe gathers the Nation of Israel together, and describes to them a truly unforgivable sin. It is so terrible that “Hashem will not be willing to forgive him, but Hashem’s anger and jealousy will be kindled against him…” [29:19]

 

What is this great crime? What could a person do that is so terrible and degraded that it is certain to arouse Divine anger, rather than forgiveness?

 

The answer describes something so simple that, at first glance, we may not understand why it is so wrong. G-d, through Moshe, makes a covenant with the Jews that they will not follow idols or the immoral practices of idolaters, a covenant that we are sworn to follow. But then the Torah describes an individual, family or tribe that is drawn to idolatry. “And when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself in his heart, saying, ‘I will have peace, as I follow the counsel of my own heart,’ adding ‘the watered upon the dry.’” [29:18]

 

What is it that arouses Divine anger? Simply that he lies back, instead of trying to improve. “I will have peace — I can continue misbehaving, and nothing bad will happen.”

As I said, we may not understand why that’s so horrible. Isn’t the actual sin what matters? Why is a person’s “lackadaisical attitude” more worthy of Divine wrath than serving idols?

To be drawn to idolatry, or any form of misbehavior, is to be overwhelmed by a desire. We are human. We want things that we’re not supposed to have, whether power, tempting foods, someone else’s money or a forbidden relationship. And, sadly, we sometimes give in to those temptations. G-d knows we are human, and can forgive us if we turn back, express sincere regret, and commit to doing better.

 

Not so the person who says, “I will have peace.” I remember my teacher, Rabbi Asher Rubenstein zt”l, speaking about how dangerous and wrong this is. Self-satisfaction with our own shortcomings? That’s what infuriates Hashem.

 

Rashi explains what the verse means by “adding the watered upon the dry.” When a person is indifferent to his own wrongdoing, there is no longer any distinction between inadvertent error and deliberate sin. Once he is willing to callously do the sin deliberately, the fact that originally  he did it by mistake no longer makes his behavior easy to forgive.

 

This thought applies to every person, no matter his or her spiritual level. We cannot be satisfied with where we are; we must look at our actions, and try to do better.

And that, of course, is one of the key messages of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. We must grab the special opportunity of these Holy Days to turn away from our mistakes and our bad choices, and set ourselves upon a better path. Let us show HaShem that we are not indifferent to our wrong actions, but sincerely desire greater closeness to the Divine.

 

May we all be Written and Sealed for a Blessed Year!

Yaakov Menken

 

Family Values

Parshas Netzavim

Posted on September 27, 2019 (5779) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

 

We have heard a great deal recently about family values. For a while, the phrase was mocked and ridiculed. Then it enjoyed a shift in popularity, and everyone claimed to be its champion. Today, it is universally acknowledged in our society that family values are important. But what exactly are family values, and how are they to be transmitted to our children? These questions remain points of serious contention.

 

Let us look into this week’s portion to see what the Torah has to say about this subject. The Jewish people are standing on the Plains of Moav, about to enter the Land of Israel. Moses, however, knows that he will not enter the Land and that he is about to die. “I have placed before you life and death, blessings and calamity,” he admonishes the people from whom he will soon be parted, “and you shall choose life, in order that you may live, both you and your children.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

 

These words are a veritable enigma. Why did the Jewish people need to be instructed to “choose life”? What sane person, when presented with a choice between life and death, would not choose life? And how would “choosing life” ensure that their children would live as well? Wouldn’t the children be presented with the same choices as their parents?

 

The famous medieval commentator Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona, author of the classic Shaarei Teshuvah, explains that our decision to embrace the values of the Torah should not be based solely on our obligation to G-d to obey His will. Rather, we should embrace it with a profound appreciation of its awesome power and eternal truths. We should appreciate fully that the Torah, which is the Word of the Creator of the Universe, is the true source of life – the only source of life. He goes on to explain that the importance of developing this outlook with regards to developing a relationship with G-d is not only in order to ensure that we have the proper attitude. It is to raise us to a higher level, to make us servants who serve their lord out of exuberant joy rather than sullen obedience.

 

With this in mind, a great sage explained how “choosing life” affects one’s children. If parents fulfill their obligation to G-d as if it were a burden upon them, the children may choose to do even less. However, if children see their parents living by the wisdom and guidance of the Torah with joy and enthusiasm, the children will associate their precious Jewish heritage with the essence of life itself. Then they too will “choose life.”

There was once a noted scholar who taught many disciples and received people from early morning until late at night. To his great disappointment, however, his son was wild and displayed little interest in his studies. Down the street lived a simple shoemaker whose son was a budding young scholar. One day, the scholar paid the shoemaker a visit.

“Tell me, my friend,” he said, “what do you do that has earned you such a fine son? I want to learn from you.”

“It is very simple, rabbi,” said the shoemaker. “Friday night, you come to the table exhausted from your holy efforts. You rush through the meal, give the children a few minutes of your time and go to sleep. On the other hand, the highlight of my whole week is Friday night when I can linger over the meal, sing songs with my family and review the events of the week in the light of the wisdom of the Torah. The spirit of Shabbos is alive in my home, and my children love it.”

 

As we face the new year, let us take these lessons to heart. Family values begin with ourselves. If we know what to value in life, if we appreciate the priceless gifts of the Torah, our own enthusiasm will automatically be transmitted to our children. And when they are presented with the awesome choices of this week’s Torah portion, they will undoubtedly “choose life.”

 

Text Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

Rabbi Reich is on the faculty of the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Education Center.

 

 

Our Leaders Define Us

Parshas Netzavim

Posted on September 13, 2012 (5779) By Rabbi Yochanan Zweig | Series: Rabbi Zweig on the Parsha | Level: Intermediate Beginner

 

“You are standing today, all of you…” (29:9)

Parshas Nitzavim begins with Moshe assembling the entire nation of Israel on the last day of his life. The verse divides Bnei Yisroel into distinct segments and social classes; the first to be mentioned are “Rosheichem” – the political leaders. Why are they named prior to “Zikneichem” – the spiritual leaders of the nation?

 

After “Rosheichem”, the verse mentions “Shivteichem” – “your tribes”. Rashi explains that “your tribes” should not be interpreted as a separate segment, rather as “Rosheichem le’shivteichem” – “the leaders of your tribes{1}”. If the expressions “Rosheichem” and “Shivteichem” are connected, why does the Torah not insert the preposition “le” – “of” to make the interpretation clearer? Without the “le” which defines the leaders as a function of the tribes, the verse can be understood as “your leaders who are your tribes”, i.e. the tribes are constituted solely of leaders.

 

The message which the Torah is imparting is that the true definition of a nation is formed by its leadership. The leaders, who are responsible for the political and economic well-being of the nation, create the medium through which the “Zekainim” – “elders”, spiritual leaders can be effective. Without both economic and political support the elders would be powerless.

This notion is borne out by the actions which Yaakov Avinu took when he created a Jewish settlement in the land of Goshen. Yaakov sent Yehuda to establish the Yeshiva, which was to be the center of Jewish life in Mitzrayim{2}. The Rambam teaches that Levi was the Rosh Yeshiva, the spiritual leader of Bnei Yisroel{3}. If so, why did Yaakov send Yehuda, the economic and political leader, to establish the Yeshiva? Clearly, the definition of the Jewish people is formed by its political leaders, who create the forum to facilitate effective spiritual leadership.

 

The term which refers to a political leader is “rosh”, which means “head”, whereas a spiritual leader is known as either a “zakain”, which has the same etymology as “zakan” – “beard” or “ayin” – “eye”. The head is the central part of the body, while the beard and eyes are merely appendages to it. Similarly, the leader, who provides the economic and political elements for the nation, defines the parameters for all other forces to be effective.

1.29:9

2.Bereishis 46:28
3.Yad Hilchos Avodas Kochavim 1:3

A Benevolent Curse

“You are standing today, all of you…” (29:9)

Rashi relates that after the terrible curses recorded in last week’s parsha, Bnei Yisroel are petrified. Therefore, Moshe calms them by stating “atem nitzavim hayom” – “you are all standing here today{1}.” It is impossible that Moshe is claiming that since Bnei Yisroel are still alive, the curses are not as terrible as they may seem, for in that case he would be questioning the efficacy of the curses. How then, does the fact that Bnei Yisroel are standing here allay their fears?

 

The Midrash Tanchuma at the beginning of this week’s parsha states that when Hashem punishes the wicked they do not recover, yet the righteous always recover from their punishment{2}. Would this not be obvious, being that the wicked receive harsher punishments than the righteous? However, the Midrash addresses this problem, citing a verse from Malachi which states that only one barrage of arrows will decimate the wicked, while the entire batch of arrows will not overcome the resilience of the righteous{3}. The Midrash is emphasizing that the difference between the wicked and the righteous in their ability to withstand punishment is not the severity of the blow; on the contrary, the righteous receive harsher punishments. How then, are the righteous able to survive, while the wicked perish?

 

In addition to allowing us to earn a place in the World to Come, observing mitzvos serves another purpose; a mitzva gives a person a sense of reality in this world as well. When a person performs more mitzvos, his vitality and will to survive are strengthened. A person with a strong will to survive is more capable of overcoming life’s adversities. Transgressions create within a person a despondence for life, a feeling that life is transient. The wicked, who lack the resolve to live, cannot cope with the failures they encounter in life, and collapse from these challenges. The righteous, who are driven and motivated to live, possess the strength to endure all of life’s adversities. The same holds true for relationships; a person’s ability to overcome the difficulties which might arise within a relationship is commensurate to the extent that he is driven to maintain that relationship. In contemporary society we lack confidence in most of our relationships, which explains why, at the first sign of adversity we dissolve them.

 

Bnei Yisroel approach Moshe terrified by the immense burden they feel from the horrific curses they have just heard. Moshe responds by telling them that they have the wrong perspective concerning the nature of a curse. Reward and punishment represent the extent to which a relationship either exists or has been dissolved. A curse reflects Hashem’s desire for a relationship to endure. The curse is the tool which Hashem uses to coerce and cajole Bnei Yisroel into appreciating their relationship with Him. The very existence of curses proves that Hashem will stop at nothing to assure that Bnei Yisroel appreciate their relationship with Him, and that He will not abandon this relationship. Therefore, Bnei Yisroel standing before Moshe, alive and well, indicates that their relationship with Hashem is in good standing; even if there will be times when they will be subjected to the curses, they should take solace in the fact that the curses themselves are indicative of Hashem wanting the relationship to endure.