Sources from essay by Rabbi Erica Seager Asch in The Social Justice Torah Commentary
Parashat Nitzavim brings us to the end of the ceremony sealing the covenant between God and the people of Israel. Throughout the previous chapters of Deuteronomy, we have seen the treaty stipulations and sanctions to be implemented if the people do not follow through on their promises. Now, we come to the ceremony of imprecation, where the community accepts that if they do not follow through with their part in the covenant, there will be serious consequences.' At the moment the people are about to enter the land, they are bound in relationship to God. But who is there? Who is part of this promise between God and the people Israel? The text is clear: everyone.
-Rabbi Erica Seager Asch
Today, our lives are very different from those of our ancient ancestors. We do not live in a mostly Israelite society where we are all bound to follow God's laws. As Jews, we are bound by a covenant with God. As citizens, we are bound by the laws of the country in which we live. Those laws are written in the Constitution, expanded in the amendments, enacted in statutes, and interpreted by the courts.
Some, including James Madison, have viewed the Constitution as the focal point of America's "civil religion." Much like the Torah, it is a document to be revered. As Americans, we the people, the governed, are bound in relationship with our government. We agree to abide by the laws or suffer the consequences if we do not. We also agree to take an active part in this relationship. In a democracy, we manifest and reaffirm our commitment to our government through voting. Just as the Jewish people stand and hear the Ten Commandments read every Shavuot, thus reenacting and reaffirming the covenant, the act of voting reaffirms the relationship between the government and the governed.
-Rabbi Erica Seager Asch
The Torah warns us of consequences if we do not follow God'slaws. Similarly, there will be consequences if not all of us participate in the constitutional covenant. Today in America, people are intentionally left out of our democracy, when barriers are erected denying them the fundamental right to vote. And we are suffering consequences. In 1958, 73 percent of Americans expressed trust in the federal government to do what is right; in 2020, only 17 percent did, Part of that erosion of trust likely results from lack of confidence in our elections.
In 2020, nearly half of US voters expected to have difficulties voting. " We are seeing an erosion of confidence in our covenant between the governed and the government. The situation seems dire, but the Torah portion reassures us that repair is not impossible:
-Rabbi Erica Seager Asch
We read Nitzavim on Yom Kippur, reminding us that we are all part of the covenant. Our community is complete only if all people,regardless of their job or gender, are present. Similarly, each time we vote, we know that our democracy is not complete unless everyone can participate. Ensuring that every citizen is able to exercise their right to vote is the foundation of our democracy.
-Rabbi Erica Seager Asch
Discussion Questions by Ariel Tovlev
-
How does the Torah expound on what it means by “everyone”? Why is this significant?
-
How does Rabbi Asch compare the covenant God makes with the people to the
Constitution of the United States? What similarities or differences do you see
between the two?
-
Rabbi Asch teaches that the Torah specifically mentions marginalized groups
because they are the most likely to be left out. Likewise, many social justice groups today focus on marginalized groups that are more likely to be excluded. What are some groups of people who are more likely to have their civil liberties denied? How can we as a community fight for the right to vote for all people?