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The parsha
for this week is entitled Nitzavim, a word
meaning “those taking a stand”. The root is different
from the common Hebrew verb for “standing” (omayd).
The Torah reading begins with our people standing
formally before Adonai, with Moses as their intermediary,
in order to confirm the Covenant.
The book
of D’varim, Deuteronomy, is in many respects a
large covenant document. In form it resembles
the ancient Near Eastern Suzerainty treaties -
those made between kings. Some of these treaty
documents (mostly Hittite) have survived down
to the present day. In the previous century their
discovery sparked tremendous interest in the academic
community. Biblical and linguistic scholars, archaeologists
and orientalists alike all noted the stunning
resemblance between the structure of Deuteronomy
and the structure of ancient Near Eastern treaties!
It was for these discoveries that George Mendenhall
and Meredith Kline made names for themselves in
academic circles.
Those
treaties were broken down like this:
Last Shabbat
we read that Moses prophesied that we would eventually
violate the Covenant God made with us and suffer
the severe consequences. In these chapters, however,
God makes a beautiful promise - that of restoration,
renewal and a return to the land. A second chance!
This is where the Torah (Deuteronomy in particular)
parts ways with the conventions of the ancient
Near East. God offers grace and forgiveness -
something the Hittites couldn’t be bothered about.
God promised
both to regather us to Eretz Yisrael, and to circumcise
our hearts (30:6). It’s a rather strange sort
of imagery - performing a bris upon one’s heart,
their will. This tells us that the heart of man
is hard and only through Divine intervention can
we be brought to a place of tenderness, teachability
and repentance. In a real sense, this passage
anticipates the giving of the New Covenant - the
very one spoken of through the prophet Jeremiah,
and brought to fulfillment through the person
of Messiah Yeshua. Those who would seek to please
God by their own effort are guaranteed failure
and disillusionment. Yet all along God promises
to do the necessary work in us Himself! If only
we are willing to receive it as a gift, rather
than insist on it as wages due.
As for
witnesses, Moses declares in chapter 30, “I
call heaven and earth to witness against you today,
that I have set before you life and death, the
blessing and the curse. So choose life in order
that you may live, you and your descendants, by
loving Adonai your God, by obeying His voice,
and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life
and the length of your days, that you may live
in the land which Adonai swore to your fathers,
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give them.’
Let me
conclude with a final thought. Every human being,
in the course of their life, will take a stand
- perhaps on several occasions. One may choose
to stand on tradition rather than accept truth,
one may take a stand on their own pride, rather
than admit wrongdoing or ignorance. One may take
a stand for a noble cause. We here at Congregation
Shema Yisrael take our stand on the fact of the
Messiahship of Yeshua and the truth of God’s Word.
Where do you stand? The saying goes, “The person
who won’t stand for something, will fall for anything.”
Shalom,
Rabbi Glenn
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