Four times in this week's parashah, we read Moses' command to Joshua as he transfers power: "hazak v'amatz," be strong and courageous. Strength and courage are not arrogance or stubbornness - strength and courage are found in the stumbling and straying. Nitzavim/Vayeilech means we stand and go; the directive is not physical but metaphorical and internal.
It is Reform tradition to read the Nitzavim Torah portion during the Shacharit (morning) service on Yom Kippur. The tradition stems from the belief that standing before God with great awe and fear is not just the solitary appearance of an individual before their Creator, but also of a community who, together, are appealing to God for forgiveness and absolution before the gates of heaven close.
You stand this day, 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 wood chopper to water drawer – to enter into the cov
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You stand this day, 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 wood chopper to water drawer – to enter into the cov
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