Parshat Netzavim is the beginning of the grand coda of the Torah. It is usually read the week before Rosh Hashanah, and since no new readings are introduced until after the holiday, Netzavim hangs over the Ten Days of Teshuvah like a ghostly presence. This is fortunate, as it happens, because Parshat Netzavim addresses Teshuvah itself, the process of active transformation we experience during the ten days, more directly and to greater effect than any other portion of the Torah.
(ט) אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(י) טַפְּכֶ֣ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וְגֵ֣רְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֑יךָ מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ׃ (יא) לְעׇבְרְךָ֗ בִּבְרִ֛ית יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּבְאָלָת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כֹּרֵ֥ת עִמְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
(יב) לְמַ֣עַן הָקִֽים־אֹתְךָ֩ הַיּ֨וֹם ׀ ל֜וֹ לְעָ֗ם וְה֤וּא יִֽהְיֶה־לְּךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־לָ֑ךְ וְכַאֲשֶׁ֤ר נִשְׁבַּע֙ לַאֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃
(יג) וְלֹ֥א אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְבַדְּכֶ֑ם אָנֹכִ֗י כֹּרֵת֙ אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־הָאָלָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ (יד) כִּי֩ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֶשְׁנ֜וֹ פֹּ֗ה עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד הַיּ֔וֹם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאֵ֨ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵינֶ֛נּוּ פֹּ֖ה עִמָּ֥נוּ הַיּֽוֹם׃
(9) You are stationed today, all of you,
before the presence of your G<3d יהוה: your heads, your tribes, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel,
(10) your little-ones, your wives, your sojourner who is amid your encampments, from your woodchopper to your waterhauler,
(11) to enter into the covenant of your G<3d יהוה, which your G<3d יהוה is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;
(12) in order to establish you this day as G<3d’s people and in order to be your G<3d, as promised you and as sworn to Avraham, to Yitzhak, and to Yaakov.
(13) Not with you, you-alone
do I cut this covenant and this oath,
(14) but with the one who is here, standing with us today
before the presence of our G<3d יהוה,
and with the one who is not here with us today.
(א) וְהָיָה֩ כִֽי־יָבֹ֨אוּ עָלֶ֜יךָ כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הַבְּרָכָה֙ וְהַקְּלָלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֙ אֶל־לְבָבֶ֔ךָ בְּכׇ֨ל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִדִּיחֲךָ֛ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה׃ (ב) וְשַׁבְתָּ֞ עַד־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֙יךָ֙ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֣ בְקֹל֔וֹ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם אַתָּ֣ה וּבָנֶ֔יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (ג) וְשָׁ֨ב ה' אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ אֶת־שְׁבוּתְךָ֖ וְרִחֲמֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁ֗ב וְקִבֶּצְךָ֙ מִכׇּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֱפִֽיצְךָ֛ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה׃ (ד) אִם־יִהְיֶ֥ה נִֽדַּחֲךָ֖ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם מִשָּׁ֗ם יְקַבֶּצְךָ֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ וּמִשָּׁ֖ם יִקָּחֶֽךָ׃ (ה) וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ֞ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֗יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יָרְשׁ֥וּ אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֑הּ וְהֵיטִֽבְךָ֥ וְהִרְבְּךָ֖ מֵאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (ו) וּמָ֨ל ה' אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֖ וְאֶת־לְבַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ לְמַ֥עַן חַיֶּֽיךָ׃ (ז) וְנָתַן֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הָאָל֖וֹת הָאֵ֑לֶּה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֥יךָ וְעַל־שֹׂנְאֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רְדָפֽוּךָ׃ (ח) וְאַתָּ֣ה תָשׁ֔וּב וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֖ בְּק֣וֹל ה' וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ אֶת־כׇּל־מִצְוֺתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ט) וְהוֹתִֽירְךָ֩ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֜יךָ בְּכֹ֣ל ׀ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֗ךָ בִּפְרִ֨י בִטְנְךָ֜ וּבִפְרִ֧י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֛ וּבִפְרִ֥י אַדְמָתְךָ֖ לְטֹבָ֑ה כִּ֣י ׀ יָשׁ֣וּב ה' לָשׂ֤וּשׂ עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ לְט֔וֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֖שׂ עַל־אֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (י) כִּ֣י תִשְׁמַ֗ע בְּקוֹל֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו הַכְּתוּבָ֕ה בְּסֵ֥פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֖ה הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י תָשׁוּב֙ אֶל־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ {ס}
(1) When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you review in heart amidst the various nations to which Ad-nai your God has banished you, (2) and you return to Ad-nai your God, and you and your children heed God’s command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day, (3) then Ad-nai your God will return your captives and take you back in love, and will bring you back together again from all the peoples where Ad-nai your God has scattered you. (4) Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there Ad-nai your God will gather you, from there [God] will fetch you. (5) And Ad-nai your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and [God] will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your ancestors. (6) Then Ad-nai your God will open up your heart and the hearts of your offspring—to love Ad-nai your God with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live. (7) Ad-nai your God will inflict all those curses upon the enemies and foes who persecuted you. (8) You, however, will again heed Ad-nai and obey all the divine commandments that I enjoin upon you this day. (9) And Ad-nai your God will grant you abounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in your issue from the womb, the offspring of your cattle, and your produce from the soil. For Ad-nai will again delight in your well-being as in that of your ancestors, (10) since you will be heeding Ad-nai your God and keeping the divine commandments and laws that are recorded in this book of the Teaching—once you return to Ad-nai your God with all your heart and soul.
Possible translations of nitzavim include: to position oneself, to stand firm, not be influenced to move. Omed has the conotation of movement at any moment. We, humans, can be stuck or walking - there are no other ways.
The root שוב, which is the root of תשובה, appears on Parashat Nitzavim 7 times. Changing is the core of being human. Teshuvah means we pay attention to the direction we want this change to go. But why do we do not do teshuvah?
The most apparent aspect of this passage is that the word-root shuv (to turn, to return, to repent -- the root of the word Teshuvah) is repeated seven times. As we have noted, this sort of ritual repetition signifies that the word is extremely significant. Here it illuminates several important facets of the process of Teshuvah...
So the process of Teshuvah is neither clear nor linear. And who is the principal actor in all this? Is it us or is it God? In the passage from Netzavim, sometimes we are the subject of the turning, and sometimes God is the subject, all of which seems to suggest that Teshuvah -- transformation -- is a reciprocal process that depends on both God and us. No one else can do transformation for us, but on the other hand we can't do it by ourselves either. The possibility of transformation always exists, but we have to consciously turn toward it in order to activate it. At the same time, our initiative can only take us so far. After that, we have to have faith. We have to depend on the universe to support the flowering of our intention.
So the first ten verses of Deuteronomy 30 give us a very accurate picture of this process of transformation, its complexity, its interactive quality, its confusing, nonlinear course. But the next four verses give us some extraordinarily direct and clear advice about precisely how to do Teshuvah, how to effect our own transformation.
(יא) כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹֽא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא׃
(יב) לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃
(יג) וְלֹֽא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבָר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יד) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃ (ס)
(טו) רְאֵ֨ה נָתַ֤תִּי לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם אֶת־הַֽחַיִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַטּ֑וֹב וְאֶת־הַמָּ֖וֶת וְאֶת־הָרָֽע׃
(טז) אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֣י מְצַוְּךָ֮ הַיּוֹם֒
לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙
לָלֶ֣כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֔יו
וְלִשְׁמֹ֛ר
מִצְוֺתָ֥יו
וְחֻקֹּתָ֖יו
וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֑יו
וְחָיִ֣יתָ וְרָבִ֔יתָ וּבֵֽרַכְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
(11) Surely, this mitzvah* which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach.
(12) It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”
(13) Neither is it across the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can go across to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”
(14) No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.
(15) See, I set before you today
life and prosperity,
death and adversity.
(16) For I command you this day,
to love the LORD your God,
to walk in His ways,
and to keep
His commandments,
His laws,
and His rules,
that you may thrive and increase,
and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land that you are about to enter and possess.
Teshuvah begins with a turn, a turn away from the external world and toward the inner realm of the heart. We effect this turn in many ways. If we are not used to solitude or contemplations, if we live our lives at a rapid pace, the simply stopping... can suddenly leave us in confrontation with the contents of our heart...