Returning to Ourselves

Parashat Nitzavim is a fitting passage to read the Shabbat before Rosh HaShanah for many reasons. One reason being that each of us is about to stand before God as our metaphorical Book of Life is opened. It is no coincidence that “nitzavim” can be translated as “standing.” The High Holy Days are a time of returning, a period devoted to repentance for actions, deeds, words, and thoughts that we might not be proud of. Part of this t’shuvah, returning, is looking inward to see how we, as individuals and communities, can do better in the coming year.

In this portion, we see God exemplify t’shuvah. The text states that if a person has strayed from the Torah and is banished but then “return[s] to your God, and you and your children obey God with all your heart and with all your soul, just as I am commanding you today, then your God will restore your fortunes and take you back in love” (Deuteronomy 30:2-3). 

In the past, we have been called a “stiff-necked people,” stubborn and unwilling to change. Moses continues to remind the Israelites that they must modify their thought processes and behaviors if they are to enter the Promised Land and be successful. Modern science has proven that changes in mindset and habits take time, sometimes ranging from a month to years. The Israelites have evolved, and they are on the precipice of being able to engage with this new mindset. This parashah is one of the final addresses that Moses makes to the Israelites, signaling its extreme importance and value. Moses is speaking to the entire community and future generations:

“You stand this day, all of you, before the Eternal your God- your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from wood chopper to waterdrawer to enter into the covenant of the Eternal your God” (Deuteronomy 29:9-11)

It does not take special powers to do what God is asking us to do. Everyone is important to God. Torah is not a secret formula that requires extensive training to understand: “No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it” (Deuteronomy 30:14).

Rabbi Schlomo Carlebach composed a version of the Hashkiveinu prayer, named “Return Again.” His lyrics speak of exactly what Moses is getting at in this speech:

“Return again, return again, return to the land of your soul. Return to who you are, return to what you are, return to where you are, born and reborn again.”

This is what Torah is. It is what we must find inside ourselves, not simply in a scroll or a siddur.