Not with You Alone: Our Ancestors and Our Children

כִּי֩ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֶשְׁנ֜וֹ פֹּ֗ה עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד הַיּ֔וֹם לִפְנֵ֖י יהוה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאֵ֨ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵינֶ֛נּוּ פֹּ֖ה עִמָּ֥נוּ הַיּֽוֹם׃

Deuteronomy 29:14

(14) but both with those who are standing here with us this day before our God יהוה and with those who are not with us here this day.

רש"י על דברים כ״ט:י״ד:א׳

ואת אשר איננו פה. וְאַף עִם דּוֹרוֹת הָעֲתִידִים לִהְיוֹת:

Rashi on Deuteronomy 29:14:1

ואת אשר איננו פה [NOT WITH YOU ALONE DO I MAKE THIS COVENANT … BUT WITH HIM THAT STANDETH HERE …] AND ALSO WITH HIM THAT IS NOT HERE — i.e. with the generations that will be in future (i.e. Moses is not referring to persons who happened to be absent from the assembly, for it states, v. 10, that all were present: “You are standing this day all of you before the Lord”) (Midrash Tanchuma, Nitzavim 3).

ספורנו על דברים כ״ט:י״ד:א׳

ואת אשר איננו פה עמנו היום. והם הדורות הבאים ולפיכך צריך שתודיעם שמתנת הארץ וזולתה היתה לכם על תנאי קיום הברית ובאותו התנאי בעצמו יירשו מכם:

Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:14:1

ואת אשר עמנו פה עמנו היום, a reference to future, as yet unborn generations. You will therefore have to explain to these unborn generations in due course that you yourselves only received this land on the understanding that subsequent generations of Jews would remain loyal to the terms of your acceptance. They will continue to inherit the land from you only on that basis.

חומש קה"ת; ביאורי חסידות, דברים כ״ט:י״ד:א׳

...

The Kehot Chumash; A Chasidic Commentary, Deuteronomy 29:14:1

With all future generations: The Torah transcends the limitations of time and space. Therefore, even today, affirming our covenant with God – by resolving to study the Torah and perform its commandments – unites us immediately and spontaneously with every Jew in the world. It also unites us with every generation of the Jewish people – past, present, and future. We thus benefit from the support of all Jews in all generations in our resolve.
Thus, although we are “the smallest of nations,” we need not fear being outnumbered with respect to issues involving the Torah, its commandments, or fulfilling our broader Divine mission – to transform the world into God’s home. We stand together with the merits of all the generations of the Jewish people.

מדרש תנחומא, פקודי ג׳:ד׳

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: עֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת עַד אֵין חֵקֶר וְנִפְלָאוֹת עַד אֵין מִסְפָּר (איוב ט, י). תֵּדַע לְךָ, שֶׁכָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ מִן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְשֶׁיִּהְיוּ עַד סוֹף כָּל הָעוֹלָם, כֻּלָּן נִבְרְאוּ בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית. וְכֻלָּן בְּגַן עֵדֶן, וְכֻלָּן הָיוּ בְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶשְׁנוֹ פֶּה עִמָּנוּ עֹמֶד הַיּוֹם, וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ פֹּה עִמָּנוּ הַיּוֹם (דברים כט, יד). וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר, עֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת עַד אֵין חֵקֶר, אֵלּוּ גְדוֹלוֹת שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּיצִירַת הַוָּלָד. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָא אָדָם לְשַׁמֵּשׁ עִם אִשְׁתּוֹ, רוֹמֵז הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמְּמֻנָּה עַל הַהֵרָיוֹן, וּשְׁמוֹ לָיְלָה.

Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 3:4

R. Johanan asked: Why is it written: Who doeth great things past finding; yea, marvelous things without number (Job 9:10)? You should know that every soul, from Adam to the end of the world, was formed during the six days of creation, and that all of them were present in the Garden of Eden and at the time of the giving of the Torah, as it is said: With him that standeth here with us this day, and also with him that is not here with us this day (Deut. 29:14). What is the meaning of Great things past finding out? It refers to the great deeds the Holy One, blessed be He, did in the formation of the embryo. At the time that a man is about to have intercourse with his wife, the Holy One, blessed be He, informs the angel in charge of conception, whose name is Lailah.

נדה ל׳ ב:כ״א

ומלמדין אותו כל התורה כולה שנאמר (משלי ד ד) ויורני ויאמר לי יתמך דברי לבך שמור מצותי וחיה ואומר (איוב כט, ד) בסוד אלוה עלי אהלי

Niddah 30b:21

And a fetus is taught the entire Torah while in the womb, as it is stated: “And He taught me and said to me: Let your heart hold fast My words; keep My commandments, and live” (Proverbs 4:4). And it also states: “As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent” (Job 29:4).

משנה אבות א׳:א׳

(א)משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:

Pirkei Avot 1:1

(1)Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.

משנה תורה, הלכות תלמוד תורה א׳:ב׳

(ב) כְּשֵׁם שֶׁחַיָּב אָדָם לְלַמֵּד אֶת בְּנוֹ כָּךְ הוּא חַיָּב לְלַמֵּד אֶת בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד ט) "וְהוֹדַעְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְלִבְנֵי בָנֶיךָ". וְלֹא בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בְּנוֹ בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא מִצְוָה עַל כָּל חָכָם וְחָכָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל לְלַמֵּד אֶת כָּל הַתַּלְמִידִים אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָן בָּנָיו. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו ז) "וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ" מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ בָּנֶיךָ אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֶיךָ שֶׁהַתַּלְמִידִים קְרוּיִין בָּנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב ב ג) "וַיֵּצְאוּ בְנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים".

Mishneh Torah, Torah Study 1:2

(2) Even as a person is obliged to instruct their children, so are they obliged to teach their children's children, for it is said: "But make them known to your children and your children's children" (Ibid. 4.9); and, not alone to their children and their children's children, but each and every scholar in Israel is commanded to instruct all who desire to be their disciples, even though they be not their children, for it is said: "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children" (Ibid. 6.7.), which is traditionally interpretedto include one's disciples; for disciples, too, are called children, as it is said: "And the children of the prophets came forth" (2 Kings 2:3).

We are gifts and we are blessings, we are history in song
We are hope and we are healing, we are learning to be strong
We are words and we are stories, we are pictures of the past
We are carriers of wisdom, not the first and not the last

CHORUS:
L'dor vador nagid godlecha
(From generation to generation, we will tell of Your greatness)
L'dor vador... we protect this chain
From generation to generation
L'dor vador, these lips will praise Your name

Looking back on the journey that we carry in our heart
From the shadow of the mountain to the waters that would part
We are blessed and we are holy, we are children of Your way
And the words that bring us meaning, we will have the strength to say

CHORUS