Nitzavim

1. Nitzavim
Introduction - This is the last day of Moses’life. We’re headed now toward
the end of his message and should pay very close attention to every word.
It is lovely, poignant, moving, and meaningful. Musically, it has the feel of
Beethoven’s late string quartets. I say that only to create a reference
relative to other portions of the text that were bigger, more dramatic.
Sacred text, for believers, of course, is all of its own.
I. Read 29:9-14.There’s so much here we could spend much of the class
on it. You, all of you, are standing today before God.What does that
mean?
A. 1. All of us, later clarified as whoever is present here with us today and
whoever is not, are standing here. Who is this, and why does it matter?

2. (It clearly includes the people who were there. But it’s also all those
(souls?) who will follow, extending through us and to all in the future. It
might include all those who had come before. Indeedit could be read,
perhaps should be read, as all who will one day come to the mountain, as
envisioned in the prophets. All stand before God.)
2. Why standing?
(Possibly, we’ve been lowered by certain chastisements. Whatever, it’s as
if we’re at Sinai (at least in front of the ark), to renew the covenant. This
raises the question: why would we renew the covenant?
The people are about to enter the promised land. Re-establishing a
commitment to the covenant would be natural for these people, to cement
and freshen the bond. But what again do we think the promised land to be?

3. This is, broadly, to be that space of our lives, whatever our geography,
where we cleave to God and live in covenant with God. Thus, we re-new
the covenant before going into the land.)
3. What’s the significance of “today?”
(I don’t want to go to the notion of “born again.” But isn’t it possiblethat that
day and indeed every day is a day for the renewal of the covenant? We
should feel that this is TODAY! If we felt that we stand before Godeach
day, what a difference it would make. Or that we are today there with
Moses,all of us that day! This is so very powerful. It’s an idea that one
should put in one’s mind, roll it around, ponderit often, and let it seep into
one’s heart and soul often and thoroughly.
Quote Chabad piece.)

4. B. Why does Moses list all the types across the spectrum of people who
are standing there?
(This is surely to flesh out the concept of all, so that we get a good flavor of
all. It’s not just for leaders, or the powerful, or the old and established. It
also includes the proselytes and presumably both those in the midst of the
camp as well as those on the outskirts.)
C. What do you make of the further delineation of all to those from the
chopperof wood to the drawer of your water?
(This could be another way of saying all types, including menial workers, or
even outsiders brought in to do this work. This is the common
understanding.

5. Or, closerto the body of the language, it could mean more. It could mean
those who serve as well as those who are served, as a way of showing
greater inclusion.
But it could be even deeper. What have we always associated with wood
and water? Torah and spirituality! So, in a way, this is who we are to be:
choppers of wood are people who read, learn, and provide from God’s
word, and drawers of water are those who bring forward spiritual
nourishment to support others. We are responsible, each to others, in
helping people live in sync with God’s word and spirit.
While our class might be dubbed The Third Well, I suggest we consider
ourselves as choppers of wood and drawers of water. Now that’s a fine
statement of identity.)
II. Read 17-19.In this discussionof idolatry, we come upon this poetic and
haunting account of what can happen inside the soul that can makes one
go astray or lead others to go astray. Can you explain it?

6. (The root of this “metaphorical” plant seeks to grow and begins with a
desire simply to learn or explore other ways, but it flourishes and produces
heresies that are as destructive of the wood of the plant as gall and
wormwood. This gives a spreading sense as well, perhaps in the mind,
heart, and soul of the person. Plus it causes ruin of “moistand dry alike.”
How would this cause the ruin of the “dry?”
Wouldn’t this behavior be enticing to others who are essentially innocent?
“Hey - I should try that out, too!” One influences others, often to the bad,
which is why we doubly worry about rot, perhaps especiallyits infecting the
dry wood, too.
Added to the problem is the person’s confidence that all will be ok, and
there will be peace, and no consequences. We saw this delusion, this false
confidence ofimmunity, in the concern of the prophets. It actually allows for
a creeping addictionto sin since the idea of being ok takes down the wall of
caution and concern(Rashi). This is all displeasing to God.)

7. III.Read 28. After further reflections by Moses on the consequences of
abandoning God,we come to this very interesting verse. What does it
mean?
(The people bearresponsibility for that which they know or have reason to
know, whether it’s others’ sins or their own. If there’s a hidden or unknown
sin or something else that’s not beenrevealed, it’s within God’s purview to
know and handle. It’s our duties, including dealing with the waywardness
that we know in ourselves and in our community, that we must be alert to,
to know, and to act to change and correct.
YET, why are the hidden things God’s concerns?
(Perhaps these are God’s domain.
But do we have the capacity to increase that which is revealed by studying
and learning and living God’s word?

8. (Discussion)
And how do we apply what we learn in verse 28 after the discussionwe just
had about verses 17-19?
One possibility is that the processof the root growing and having the effect
of wormwood or poisonwood is often hidden, or, at least, it is for mostof
the time until it has had its fully destructive impact. God sees this and
worries about it, especiallyin its potential to generate future apostasy.
While we only have the duty to fulfill what’s been revealed, it’s important to
see that the largely hidden process of the root/wormwood problem has just
been revealed to us! I would argue, as difficultas it may be, and risky, to be
able to detectand deal with problems that are still emerging but are not yet
manifested, we should examine for this rotting and reveal it at the earliest
possible time so as to limit the damage it does to us and our community.)

9. IV. Read 30:2-3.What’s the significance of these verses?
(God always awaits our turn and return. But our return involves following
the Instruction, and with all our heart and soul. God will take us back in
love.)
V. Read 11-14.What strikes you here?
(These are not some deep philosophical concepts. We have been taught
the way through the mitzvoth. It’s not baffling; it doesn’t require scholars or
“wise men.” It’s not for a select few. It’s not beyond the reach of a good
person, and it’s not in heaven or across the sea, requiring something other-

10. worldly to obtain it for us or a long journey requiring a hero such as in
Gilgamesh, or seeking a rare and distant scholar. It’s near; it’s in our mouth
and in our heart. We can speak the truth from out of what we know in our
mindful hearts that have beenprepared in God’s way.
It helps, as we have learned a moment ago, that it is what’s in front of us,
what’s been revealed, that we’re responsible forfulfilling.)
VI. Read 15, 19-20.We’ve talked a lot about the notions in the Bible about
life and death, blessing and curse. What do we learn further here about the
meaning of the text on these matters?
(Life is clearly the state of being with God, and death is apartness from
God. One leads to blessing, and the other leads to curse. One clearly gets
the sense that life and death here are not necessarilycorrelated with
physical life and death. It’s a choice to be or not to be with God,with life
associated with the formerand death with the latter. And there’s a clear
sense that this is a choice we make each day, in all that we decide and do.

11. Choosing life, walking with God, living in covenant with God,following
God’s word, learning, teaching, and living by God’s word (after all, eytz
chayim, Torah, means the tree of life) - these are the crucial features of
living in God-land, of living in the land of promise. We find life in the
promised land, for us and all who follow.)
Conclusion