Nitzavim-Vayeilech: Reach for the Heavens

By Zachary Fish

The Aseres Yemai Teshuva are just a few days away, and for many this realization alone may come with a certain anxiety. This anxiety is likely a response to the demanding nature of the prioritization and expectation of Teshuva that is placed on every individual at this time. And, understandably, for some, this expectation to create real change in both action and orientation seems nearly impossible.

The Torah, in Parshas Netzavim, seems to speak directly to those that feel this way.

כי המצוה הזאת אשר אנכי מצוך היום לא־נפלאת הוא ממך ולא רחקה הוא

לא בשמים הוא לאמר מי יעלה־לנו השמימה ויקחה לנו וישמענו אתה ונעשנה

ולא־מעבר לים הוא לאמר מי יעבר־לנו אל־עבר הים ויקחה לנו וישמענו אתה ונעשנה

כי־קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשת

For this mitzvah that I command you today, it is not hidden from you and it is not distant.

It is not in heavens, [for you] to say, ‘‘Who can ascend to the heavens for us, and take it for us, and inform us of it, and we will fulfill it?’’

Nor is it across the seas, [for you] to say, ‘‘Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us, and take it for us, and let us hear it, so that we can perform it?’’

Rather, the matter is very near to you; in your mouth and in your heart to perform it.

The Ramban understands that the “mitzvah” referred to here is the mitzvah of teshuva. And at first glance, these pesukim are then meant to be comforting and encouraging. The Torah is telling us that while teshuva may seem difficulty, while it may seem to be “in the heavens”, rest assured, everything you need to do is actually very much within you reach. Indeed, along with this encouragement comes the expectation that because it is in reach there is no longer an excuse to not undertake the teshuva process, but for the most part the message seems to be comforting.

However, the understanding of Chazal in Gemara Erivun 55a adds a very different layer and tone to these pesukim. The Gemara there says:

והיינו דאמר אבדימי בר חמא בר דוסא, מאי דכתיב: ״לא בשמים היא ולא מעבר לים היא״ ״לא בשמים היא״ שאם בשמים היא — אתה צריך לעלות אחריה, ואם מעבר לים היא — אתה צריך לעבור אחריה

And this idea is in accordance with what Avdimi bar Ḥama bar Dosa said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “It is not in heaven…nor is it beyond the sea” (Deuteronomy 30:12–13)? “It is not in heaven” indicates that if it were in heaven, you would have to ascend after it, and if it were beyond the sea, you would have to cross after it

This understanding seems to run contradictory to the implication in the simple understanding of the pesukim. But even more problematic, is how can the Torah expect us to do something that is impossible? If what we need to do was truly in the skies, would we actually have an obligation to go after it?!

There are two approaches to answering this question.

The Result is not for You to Worry About:

Rav Yerucham Olshin, in Yerach L'Moadim, answers this question based on a seemingly totally unrelated passage in Chumash, the story of Basya reaching out for the taiva floating in the water containing Moshe. Rashi explains there that when the pasuk says that Basya sent her "amasa", this means that she stretched her hand out and Hashem performed a miracle that her hand stretched out much longer that it could naturally reach, in order that she would be able to reach Moshe.

If the taiva was so far away, why did she even stretch her hand out to begin with?

Rav Yerucham Olshin quotes Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer who explains that we see from here a yesod in avodas Hashem: that a person has to do everything in his ability that he can do, even if it appears to him that he cannot finish the job, and the Hashem will finish the rest.

Rav Yerucham Olshin beautifully expounds on this and shows that if a person puts in all his effort, Hashem will give special siyata dishmaya that he will be able to accomplish more than what even seemed to be possible al derech hateva, through the normal rules of nature. As the Gemara says בא לטהר מסייעין אותו, A person who comes to purify [himself] is granted assistance. If we sincerely take the first steps, Hashem will help us finish, and may even help us bring out abilities within us that we didn't even know we had in us.

It is not our job then to contemplate whether we have the ability to be successful, but rather just to do what we need to do. We cannot let our own self perceptions limit us. And if we are doing what we need to do with the right intentions, and it is meant to happen, then Hashem will make sure we are successful.

This idea is quite inspiring and relevant in a generation where so many struggle with self-confidence issues and find it hard to believe in themselves. We see that we are not expected to be able to do it all, but rather we are expected to give it our all, and Hashem, the one who is actually able to do it all, will be there to help us.

The Result is not the Reason to Exert Effort:

In addition to this approach, there is another answer that may seem similar but is actually very different.

Instead of explaining that if we exert effort Hashem will help us be successful, we can instead answer that in avodas Hashem the effort is extremely valuable independent of whether or not we are "successful" in what we are trying to achieve. It is even possible to say that the effort itself is more important than the actual achievement of the goal. This approach can be found in Return and Renewal, by Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, in the piece titled "Mediocre Teshuva and the Teshuva of the Medicore."

We can see this idea in a beracha we say every day.

ברוך אתה יהוה אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו לעסק בדברי תורה:

Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah.

Why is the beracha that we make on Torah לעסק בדברי תורה, to be engrossed in the words of Torah, and not ללמוד דברי תורה, to learn words of Torah?

The Maharal, in his hakdama to the Tifferes Yisrael, explains that if the beracha was "to learn words of Torah" this would give the false impression that the mitzvah of talmud torah was to have the proper complete and true understanding of what one is learning. He explains the mitzvah is the action of learning Torah itself, independent of whether one ended up with the proper understanding (as long as he was hoping to reach the truth). The effort is not a means to the end but is the end itself.

Accordingly, we are expected to that which seems impossible, because it is not essential that we actually ahieve the total completion of the goal. But what is essential is that we try as hard as we can, for that is what is expected from us.

I believe that this understanding actually fits very well in the basic understanding of the pesukim. Once we understand that the goal is that each individual has to give their maximum effort, then by definition this is within reach of every person (and not "in the heavens"). However, this is a double-edged sword. On one hand it is very comforting because it means we are not expected to do anything outside of our ability, but on the other hand, we are required to exert all of our effort, and anything less will not suffice.

B'ezrat Hashem we can find the strength to not let our self-perceived limitations stop us in the realm of Teshuva and all areas of life, and hopefully we can always remember that independent of "success" the effort we put is an accomplishment in of itself.