Nitzavim: Stepping Back in Order to Move Forward

It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Ezra enacted for the Jewish people that they should read the portion of the curses that are recorded in Leviticus before Shavuot and the portion of the curses that are recorded in Deuteronomy before Rosh HaShana. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for this? Abaye said, and some say that it was Reish Lakish who said: In order that the year may conclude together with its curses, and the new year may begin without the ominous reading of the curses.

(9) You stand this day, all of you, before the LORD your God—your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel,

Something deeper hinted to in the meaning of the words you all standing... is that all those who are distant from holiness (transgressors), their 'standing' is lowly and their heads are sullen; however for THIS it is written 'you all standing...' to be standing in front of Hashem--to be before Hashem...[even they] should stand and raise their heads!

and you return to the LORD your God, and you and your children heed His command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day,

And the meaning of this (Deut 30:2) is that you will return to God with all your heart and soul, and accept for you and your children for generations to do all that I have commanded you.

No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.

אתם נצבים YE ARE STANDING THIS DAY [ALL OF YOU BEFORE THE LORD] — This teaches that Moses assembled them in the presence of the Omnipresent on the day of his death, in order to initiate them into a covenant with Him.

If a man enters a hiding place, Do I not see him? —says the LORD. For I fill both heaven and earth —declares the LORD.

"I have set the Lord always before me." This is a cardinal principle in the Torah and (a fundamental rule) of life among the pious who go before G-d. Because it is not how a person sits, moves and works when he is alone at home but how he sits, moves and works when he is in the presence of a great king.

(5) Why is this people—Jerusalem—rebellious With a persistent rebellion? They cling to deceit, They refuse to return.(6) I have listened and heard: They do not speak honestly. No one regrets his wickedness And says, “What have I done!” They all persist in their wayward course like a horse dashing forward to war.

(1) The foundation of piety and the root of perfect service [of G-d] is for a man to clarify and come to realize as truth what is his obligation in his world and to what he needs to direct his gaze and his aspiration in all that he toils all the days of his life.

“Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people; send one man from each of their ancestral tribes, each one a chieftain among them.”

And a certain pious man would pray, "May the Ominpresent save me from the spreading of the soul." And they inquired from him, "What is the spreading of the soul?" He said [back] to them that it [means] that his possessions should be numerous and spread out in many places, and [so] he would have to spread his soul to think in [this direction and that direction].

(4) Notwithstanding that the blowing of the ram's horn trumpet on Rosh ha-Shanah is a Scriptural statute, its blast is symbolic, as if saying: "Ye that sleep, bestir yourselves from your sleep, and ye slumbering, emerge from your slumber, examine your conduct, turn in repentance, and remember your Creator! They that forget the truth because of the vanities of the times, who err all of their years by pursuing vanity and idleness, which are of neither benefit nor of salvation, care for your souls, improve your ways and your tendencies, let each one of you abandon his evil path and his thought which is not pure!

(Deut. 29:9:) “You are standing today.” Why did Moshe make them into a pillar (mazevah)²A type of altar generally used for idolatry, but always forbidden by the Torah. See Deut. 16:22.? Because they would [change] from one opinion to another opinion: from the opinion of Moshe to the opinion of Joshua; from the opinion of Joshua to the opinion of the elders.

In regards to all Mitzvot (in the time of Moshe Rebbeinu), all of them were purely spiritual and supernatural. Then the people switched from Moshe's ways to the ways of Yehoshua. His way was all about working the land of Israel (physical). Because of this, therefore they had to make for the people a monument so that they recognize that they are established in their thought process, and shouldn't become confused between the approaches of the leaders / Judaism (one being very otherworldly and one being very this worldly). Therefore, they had to make a differentiation in the physical world through creating a monument. And only with this ability were the people able to renew their holiness and move on to the new way of leadership. And this is why we read this parsha when the year is ending to prepare for the coming year. Because for that we also have to a pause and say that we are aware the past year is over and now we are now ready to enter the coming year.

Even though the sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a biblical decree, it has an intimation, as if to say: "Arise from your slumber, you who are asleep; wake up from your deep sleep, you who are fast asleep; search your deeds and repent; remember your Creator. Those of you who forget the truth because of passing vanities, indulging throughout the year in the useless things that cannot profit you nor save you, look into your souls, amend your ways and deeds. Let everyone give up his evil way and his bad purpose.

(9) You stand this day, all of you, before the LORD your God—your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel,(10) your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawer—(11) to enter into the covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;(12) to the end that He may establish you this day as His people and be your God, as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.