Netzavim: Standing Together, Rising Higher

By Ian Schwartz

In this weeks parsha Nitzavim we have an extremely unique description of the jewish people

אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ טַפְּכֶ֣ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וְגֵ֣רְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֑יךָ מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ׃

This is an extremely novel way of describing the jewish people, firstly it mentions all members of society from the highest to the lowest, from the rosh yeshivas to the simple jews from the CEOs to the water shleppers. The word Nitzavim is not used anywhere else in the Torah to describe the jewish people. Why is this the parsha before Rosh Hashanah and how does the opening of the parsha connect to the Yamim Noraim, as it is always the final parsha of the year. Explains the Alter Rebbe in Likutei Torah that Nitzavim doesn't just mean standing, it means moving upward, like a spark or a flame that is in a constant upward motion.

The Torah uses this word to describe the jewish people because that is the state of the jewish people during this time of year. Jews who don't come to shul, show up, the ones who usually talk in shul are found crying during unetana tokef, those who aren’t necessarily careful in halacha are looking for ways to grow. That is the state of the Jewish people during this time of year. Every jew is looking for a way to be better and to grow. There is a collective awakening amongst Am Yisrael.

We see this with the tens of thousands heading to the Kotel every night for Slichot and every shul being overbooked with jews looking to reconnect with their father in heaven.

Rav Kook writes in Orot Hateshuva that in order to do teshuva the first step is to connect oneself to the jewish people. How does one do this? Perhaps the following story can guide us.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe was once asked what he thinks about Jews who only attend shul on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a chassid questioned him ‘They are just pretending to be religious jews a few days a year, we all know that it isn't really who they are.’ The Rebbe responded ‘the rest of the year they are pretending to be someone else but on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur they are being their true selves.’ Connecting oneself to the jewish people means seeing the good and the neshama inside each and every jew. Realizing that throughout the year we might stumble or stray but every jewish heart wants to return to hashem.

This is the time of year that the sound of the shofar wakes up klal yisrael from their slumber. This applies to each of us from the highest in society to the lowest, every single last Jew. Our job is to reach out and welcome in our fellow jews. By reconnecting and seeing the good amongst the jewish people we can bind ourselves together to return to Hashem. As the Machzor says

 וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם

Wishing everyone a Good Shabbos and a Shana Tova