| D’var Torah PARASHAT NITZAVIM &
PREPARE FOR HIGH HOLY DAYS WITH MELODY REMINDERS BELOW
“וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד ה׳ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ” – “And you shall return to the Lord your God” (Deut. 30:2).
As we reach the last Shabbat of the year, Parashat Netzavim reminds us:
“וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד ה׳ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלוֹ”
“And you shall return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice” (Deut. 30:2).
What does it mean to return to God?
- Rashi (ad loc.) explains:
- “תשוב בתשובה שלימה” – You shall repent with a complete repentance. For Rashi, the return is an act of t’shuvah, an honest turning from sin toward God.
- Ramban (Nachmanides) deepens this: “והבטיח הכתוב כי אחרי שיגלו ישובו אל ה׳ בכל לבבם” – The verse promises that after exile Israel will return to God with all their heart. Here, return means national renewal, not only personal but collective destiny.
- The Sforno comments: “והתבוננת על דרכיך עד שתשוב אל ה׳” – You will reflect upon your ways until you return to God. For him, t’shuvah is about beirur, deep clarification through reflection.
- The Baal Shem Tov taught that every Jew has a unique path within the mission of Am Yisrael. In his language of beirurim, clarifications, Shabbat and Rosh HaShanah are times to discern which part of Israel’s mission belongs uniquely to us.
The last Shabbat of the year returns us to godliness and prompts us to move forward on a mtizvah path. We stand together with our our ancestors who passed along a spiritual inheritance so that we could uncover our own missions. God wants us all to stand together in communities, minyanim, and masses worldwide every Shabbat and on the New Year—together as one but truly “אחד אחד”—one by one, as precious and unique.
Our prayers are a mix of praise, gratitude, and also clarifications: have I fulfilled my role this year? what is my role in the coming one? As we return, may we return to God, to our People, and to our determined destiny.
Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tovah,
Rabbi Bolton |
