Torah Commentary
Make a Special Passover Gift
Together, we will champion the lessons of Passover by bringing greater wholeness, justice, and belonging to our world.
Together, we will champion the lessons of Passover by bringing greater wholeness, justice, and belonging to our world.
Torah Commentary
Collective Responsibility, One for All and All for One
Nitzavim comes in the cycle of Torah readings just before Rosh HaShanah and is particularly appropriate for the High Holidays because it stresses the importance of repentance. The tone of the passage is at once both lofty and terrifying.
It begins with Moses' inspiring address to the entire people of Israel shortly before he is to die, "You stand this day (Atem nitzavim hayom), all of you, before the Eternal your God — you tribal heads, you elders, and you officials, all the men of Israel, you children, you women, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawer" (Deuteronomy 29:9-10).
A Jew Is a Jew, No Matter How Far
In Parashat Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20), Moses is coming to the end of his oration, the end of his leadership, and the end of his life.
Expanding the Covenant
At the edge of the Promised Land, Moses convenes his people one last time, to draw them into the covenant between them and their God. This great gathering of the masses evokes the last great gathering, forty years earlier, when the people of Israel were encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
Standing Together, Standing Apart
The Hebrew month of Elul invites us into a period of preparatory self-reflection and contemplation, calling us to center our thoughts on our own t'shuvah.
Nitzavim for Tots
A guide to help adults learn how to engage young children in a discussion about this week’s Torah portion.