On a flight to Buenos Aires, I once met a man who hugged me as if we had known each other our whole lives. I looked at him, and he realized he had made a mistake.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I don't know you."
He blushed but cleverly recovered from the awkward moment by saying, "Perhaps we met at the revelation at Mount Sinai. We were all there!"
The reaction of that Jew is rooted in this week’s Torah portion, Nitzavim- Vaielech which describes the renewal of the covenant made 40 years earlier at the foot of Mount Sinai.
This Shabbat, I wonder if we are truly standing firm and united, nitzavim, as our people once did in the past, especially in the face of the dark and distressing times we are living through. Are we prepared to keep moving forward, vaielech, walking together with shared goals and ideals, determined to continue fighting for the very existence and necessary rebirth of Medinat Israel, under the guiding principles of the Declaration of Independence and in the spirit of the prophets of Israel?
The nightmare that began on October 7, the brutality of Hamas terrorists, joined in their terrible incursion by residents of Gaza who worked within Israel's sovereign territory, and the ongoing attacks on civilians in the northern part of our national home, deeply affect us. To this are added the thousands displaced from their homes and the recent attacks from various fronts throughout Israeli territory.
The international community's constant refusal to acknowledge the over 100 daily missile attacks on average in the last month, and the destruction in northern Israeli cities—once peaceful and thriving, with no signs of weaponry or offensive systems—only exacerbates the situation. Yet, when the Jewish state responds, the condemnation is immediate, calling for unilateral ceasefires, even though the aggression began—and continues—from the north.
Some people believe that talking about this is engaging in politics. Speaking about this war is recognizing that what we recite year after year in our Passover Sedarim is REAL: "Shelo echad bilvad amad aleinu lechaloteinu, ela shebechol dor vador omdim aleinu lechaloteinu". It wasn’t just one; in every generation, they have risen up to destroy us as a people.
All of this demands that we unite, standing tall, together and embracing one another, despite our ideological and political differences. When I say people, I refer to all those who embrace the covenant, the same covenant our ancestors embraced at Mount Sinai:"Not with you alone do I make this covenant and this oath, but also with those who are not here with us today." (Deuteronomy 29:13-14). Rashi explains: "Even with future generations."
This perception is revolutionary and incomprehensible to other peoples. Our neighbors and anti-Zionists are convinced that the Jewish people have no right to this land because most of us are not descendants of the ancient inhabitants of Israel.
"Your place is in Russia, Poland, or Romania," they tell Jews of Ashkenazi descent. Not long ago, an enemy of the Jewish people said that the Middle East conflict would be resolved once we return to those places.
An interesting halachic question deals with the same issue. The Rambam was asked by Ovadia, a convert born into a Christian family in Italy, if he was entitled to say the blessings "Our God and the God of our fathers" (Eloheinu Ve-Elohei Avotenu), or "Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us" (Asher Kidshanu B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu), or "Who set us apart" (Asher Hivdilanu), or "Who chose us" (Asher Bachar Banu).
Rambam's answer was unequivocal: whoever joins the Jewish people is a Jew in every sense, and he joins the Jewish heritage of generations, even if, from a genetic point of view, he does not belong. Even if he was not physically present, he was spiritually there. Whoever chose to join the Jewish people chose to be present at the revelation at Mount Sinai and committed to the Land of Israel.
We all stood at the foot of Mount Sinai. For Mount Sinai is not merely a geographical location. Belonging to the Jewish people does not require a DNA test.
In Nitzavim, we are reminded that the entire community of the children of Israel stands together before God, from the leaders to the children and the strangers, to listen to the final address of the one who led them through the 40 years of journey from the narrow confines of slavery to the Promised Land.
This act of "standing together" symbolizes unity and collective responsibility. In these difficult times, may we be able to choose life in its fullest sense, to continue walking together as Vaielech suggests, committed to building a more humane, compassionate, and peaceful future in our homeland, the State of Israel.
May this Shabbat bring some comfort and peace to its inhabitants and to our hearts. May those kidnapped in the tunnels of terror nearly a year ago finally return. May the spark of humanity prevail over selfish and petty interests, and may it guide us all (especially those who still hold any measure of power) in this time of uncertainty.
This Shabbat, before Rosh Hashanah, is an opportunity to remember and embrace the fact that, despite the chaos, human beings have the capacity and responsibility to choose paths of peace that lead to life, dignity, and justice for all.
Shabbat Shalom umevorach veShana Tova uMetuka
May we have a blessed Shabbat and a sweet and excellent year, with real peace in the State of Israel and the world.
Rabbi Gustavo Geier
Comments