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Parshiot Nitzavim – Vayelech

“Return”
Rabbi Ari Kahn

The portions of Nitzavim and Vayelech are always read in close


proximity to Rosh Hashana and the “Days of Awe” in general. This
would seem to be one of the instances where the choice of reading
is not “coincidental”; rather, the division of the Parshiot is carefully
constructed to insure that certain messages are conveyed at
specific junctures of the calendar.

During this season “Teshuva” is in the air: personal and collective


introspection are the order of the day. In this context, it is evident
why these portions, particularly Nitzavim, are the chosen message.
The idea of Teshuva (return), if not the major theme of the Parsha, is
certainly the Parsha’s apex.

The term “return” and the root SHAV are utilized in numerous
verses:

And it shall come to pass, when all these things have come upon you, the
blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall return to
your heart [while in exile] among all the nations, where the Lord your G-d
has driven you. And you shall return unto the Lord your G-d, and shall obey
his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children,
with all your heart, and with all your soul. Then the Lord your G-d will
[re]turn your captivity, and have compassion upon you, and will return and
gather you from all the nations, where the Lord your G-d has scattered you…
And the Lord your G-d will bring you into the land which your fathers
possessed, and you shall possess it; and he will do you good, and multiply you
above your fathers. And the Lord your G-d will circumcise your heart, and the
heart of your seed, to love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, and with all
your soul, that you may live. … And you shall return and obey the voice of the
Lord, and do all his commandments which I command you this day. And the
Lord your G-d will make you abundantly prosperous in every work of your
hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit
of your land, for good; for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, as he
rejoiced over your fathers. If you shall listen to the voice of the Lord your G-d,
to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of
the Torah, and if you turn to the Lord your G-d with all your heart, and with
all your soul. (30:1-10)

In order to appreciate the number of times the root Shav- (return) is


used, the Hebrew text must be consulted. Suffice it to say that the
term “return” is repeated time after time in this section. This
peculiarity has served as a challenge for the classical commentators
who sought to explain the various “returns”, both on the part of man
and the part of G-d. One solution offered is that the text refers to

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the totality of history: It includes various exiles, from the Ten Tribes
through the eschatological ingathering and the end of days.

The word shav and its more common usage “Teshuva” have often
been translated as repentance, yet the Hebrew word “Teshuva” is
both more powerful and more simple. ‘Repentance’ is derived from
the word penance, which primarily means remorse. The feeling of
remorse may be private, personal, even egocentric, describing the
feelings of an individual who knows that he has failed himself, and
perhaps his family or society. When a person feels remorse and
utilizes these feelings to spur action, or at least a resolution to
redouble his efforts and not return to his erroneous ways, we may
also call this process rehabilitation.

The only thing lacking with the process we have described is G-d.
The Jewish concept of return is a return to G-d. It is a theocentric
phenomenon, which serves, in most cases, to heal an egocentric
perspective. The defining verse is found in this week’s portion and
was cited above: “And you shall return to the Lord your G-d.”

Teshuva is a gesture which returns man to his pure state – by virtue


of connecting man with G-d. This ideas lies behind the insistence of
the Rabbis that Teshuva possesses a metaphysical identity. Teshuva
is not part of this world; it predates Creation:

IN THE BEGINNING G-D CREATED. Six things preceded the creation of the
world; some of them were actually created, while the creation of the others
was already contemplated… R. Ahabah b. R. Ze'ira said: Repentance too, as it
is written, ‘Before the mountains were brought forth, etc.’ (Tehilim XC, 2),
and from that very moment, ‘You turn man to contrition, and say: Repent, ye
children of men (ib. 3). (Midrash Rabbah - Bereishit 1:4)1

When G-d was about to create man the Torah remonstrated, saying: “Should
man be created and then sin and be brought to trial before Thee, the work of
Thy hand will be in vain, for he will not be able to endure Thy judgement.”
Whereto G-d replied: “I had already fashioned repentance before creating the
world.” (Zohar Bereishit 134b)2
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A similar teaching is found in the Zohar Vayikra 34b:
When R. Hizkiah was once studying with R. Eleazar, he asked him: ‘How many lights were
created before the world was created?’ He answered: ‘Seven: namely, the light of the Torah, the light of
Gehenna, the light of the Garden of Eden, the light of the Throne of Glory, the light of the Temple, the
light of repentance, the light of the Messiah.
2
The same idea is taught in Zohar, Vayikra, Page 70a:
R. Yehuda cited here the verse: “A song of ascents. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O
Lord” (Ps. CXXXI). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that when G-d was about to create man, He consulted
the Torah and she warned Him that he would sin before Him and provoke Him. Therefore, before
creating the world G-d created Repentance, saying to her: “I am about to create man, on condition that
when they return to thee from their sins thou shalt be prepared to forgive their sins and make atonement
for them”. Hence at all times Repentance is close at hand to men, and when they repent of their sins it
returns to G-d and makes atonement for all, and judgement is suppressed and all is put right. When is a
man purified of his sin?’ R. Isaac said: ‘When he returns to the Most High King and prays from the
depths of his heart, as it is written, “From the depths I cried unto thee”.

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Prior to the creation of the world, G-d created an idea called
Teshuva--a process that brings man in touch with G-d, the definitive
metaphysical Being. Thus, an idea which eluded many great
philosophers becomes clear: Secular philosophy cannot grasp the
possibility that remorse can uproot past transgressions. If existence
were exclusively physical, the question would be appropriate.
However, Judaism insists that there is a metaphysical reality called
G-d, who created and sustains the universe. Additionally, G-d
created a procedure which allows man to relate directly to Him. As
G-d transcends time, so can man’s relationship with G-d transcend
time, rendering yesterday’s failures a blot in a black hole of time,
irrelevant to one’s current relationship with G-d, which is itself
transcendent. This is the power of Teshuva.

This metaphysical relationship may explain several other teachings


in this week’s Parsha, and help explain the dynamics of the future
redemption. The Parsha began with a covenant drawn between man
and G-d:

You stand this day all of you before the Lord your G-d; your captains of your
tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel… That you
should enter into covenant with the Lord your G-d, and into his oath, which
the Lord your G-d makes with you this day. That he may establish you today
for a People to himself, and that he may be to you a G-d, as he has said to
you, and as he has sworn to your fathers, to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to
Ya’acov. And not with you alone will I make this covenant and this oath. But
with him who stands here with us this day before the Lord our G-d, and also
with him who is not here with us this day. (30: 9-14)

The idea of a covenant “with those not here” is of particular interest.


The various commentators explain that this refers to future
generations still unborn. They, too, must live up to their side of the
covenant or suffer expulsion. In that event, the Torah speaks of the
eventual return of man to G-d.

And [you] shall return to the Lord your G-d, and shall obey his voice
according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all
your heart, and with all your soul.

The idea of “both you and your children” returning to G-d seems
strange: Either you or a subsequent generation will need to return,
why both? In a terse, enigmatic statement Ramban says that a great
mystical secret centers around the teaching that the Son of David
cannot come until all the souls are completed. His source is a
passage found in numerous places in the Talmud:

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R. Assi stated: The Son of David will not come before all the souls in Guf are
completed; since it is said, ‘For the spirit that wraps itself is from Me, and the
souls which I have made. (Yevamot 63b3)

The ultimate return will take place when all souls reach completion.
These souls represent both past and future generations, all of which
are part and parcel of the metaphysical nature of the Jews’
relationship with G-d .

Rav Eliyahu Dessler (Michtav Me’Eliyahu volume 4 page 120)


explained this concept by citing a mystical teaching that in the
generations prior to the arrival of the Messiah there are precious few
“new” souls, the majority being “used”, incomplete souls returned in
order to complete their task.

Other 20th century mystics have attempted to “explain” the


holocaust by stating that prior to redemption all souls need to be
elevated. The generation of people who died in the desert, despite
seeing the work of G-d with greater clarity than any other
generation, failed to sanctify G-d’s name. Therefore they needed to
return, and die performing a sanctification of G-d’s name. However,
it is also taught in this week’s Parsha:

The secret things belong to the Lord our G-d; but those things which are
revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the
words of this Torah. (30:28)

Rav Yehonatan Eybshitz combines these teachings when he explains


the significance of the verse:

That then the Lord your G-d will [re]turn your captivity, and have compassion
upon you, and will return and gather you from all the nations, where the Lord
your G-d has scattered you. (30:3)

Rav Yehonatan writes:

“This refers to the birth pangs of the Messiah which will be in close proximity
to the redemption, [which are so severe] that many sages said “Let him [The
Messiah] come, but let me not see him” (Sanhedrin 98b). The reason is that
the Shechina is with us in exile (Megila 29a) taking care of us like a mother
cares for a child. At the time of the redemption the Shechina will not return
together with us at one time; rather, first the Shechina will return to the Land
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This idea is explored in the Zohar as well Bereishit Page 28b
At that time every Israelite will find his twin-soul, as it is written, “I shall give to you a new
heart, and a new spirit I shall place within you” (Yehezkel 36, 26), and again, “And your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy” (Yoel 3, 1); these are the new souls with which the Israelites are to be
endowed, according to the dictum, “the Son of David will not come until all the souls to be enclosed in
bodies have been exhausted”, and then the new ones shall come. At that time the mixed multitude shall
pass away from the world, and it will be possible to say of Moshe and of Yisrael, each in reference to
his twin-soul, “and the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed”, because unchastity
shall pass away from the world, namely those who caused the captivity, the mixed multitude.

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of Israel, and then we shall return. For many things must take place in order
for the ingathering of the exiles to take place, and this is impossible without
the Shechina in its proper place. Therefore when we remain in exile and G-d is
not in our midst, we will have the most severe horrors, for we will be without a
protector. Therefore the verse teaches that first G-d will return, and only then
will He have compassion “and gather you from all the nations, where the Lord
your G-d has scattered you.” (Tiferet Yehonatan 30:3)

This is reminiscent of the idea of the “hiding of G-d’s face” which is


also described in this week’s Parsha.

Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake
them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and
many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are
not these evils come upon us, because our G-d is not among us? And I will
surely hide my face in that day…(31:17,18)

According to Rav Yehonatan this is part of the process of


redemption. Rav Yehonatan then goes on to explain the purpose of
the return to Israel. The verse states:

And the Lord your G-d will bring you into the land your fathers possessed,
and you shall possess it; and he will do you good, and multiply you above
your fathers. (30:5)

Rav Yehonatan explains that the return to Israel is an opportunity for


rectification. The failure of the people took place in the Land of
Israel, with the Shechina in their midst. One of the principles of
Teshuva is obedience in the same situation of previous failure:

How is one proved a repentant sinner? Rav Yehuda said: If the object which
caused his original transgression comes before him on two occasions, and he
keeps away from it. Rav Yehuda indicated: With the same woman, at the same
time, in the same place. (Yoma 86b)

According to this approach, the ingathering of the exiles is the


creation of a situation where the Jews may heal the spiritual damage
caused by their ancestors years ago. Significantly, this was the
context where the Ramban mentioned the mystical idea of souls
reaching completion. Future generations are bidden to follow the
covenant forged with a previous generation, and to complete the
mission of the previous generation, as they heal the damage which
was unleashed by virtue of sins committed in antiquity. If the Temple
was destroyed due to hatred, the generation brought back to the
Land must rise above the petty jealousy and hatred, and repair the
souls tainted in previous generations.

The Rambam writes (Laws of Teshuva 7:5) that at the end of days
the Jews will do Teshuva and return to G-d. He adds that all the
prophets commanded Israel regarding Teshuva, and the Torah has

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already guaranteed that the people will do Teshuva. His prooftext is
drawn from the verses we have already examined from this week’s
Parsha. The Rambam also cites these verses when describing the
task of the Messiah (see Laws of Kings 11:1).

According to Rambam, for a Jew not to believe in the collective


Teshuva of the Jewish people he must reject the promise of the
Torah, and the belief in the Messiah. Rabbi Soloveitchik added that
the naysayer also rejects the Jewish People, and has lost belief in
them as well4.

In our days these teachings are all the more poignant and powerful.
This century has seen horrific events, and we pray that those were
the worst of the birth-pangs which the sages foresaw and prayed to
be spared. We have lived to see an ingathering of the exiles, and we
are aware that our communal and personal life in Israel is an
incredible opportunity to mend the damage of previous generations.
We must never lose faith in the Torah which promised the return, nor
faith in the People of Israel who will perform the complete return to
G-d.

For just as we are imbued with a metaphysical soul which allows us


to relate to G-d as individuals, the collective community, too, has an
incredible spiritual capacity which is far
more powerful than the sum of all its individual parts. Likewise, just
as the individual can
perform an act of transcendence by doing Teshuva, so can the entire
community. The Torah has already promised that this will happen – it
is just a question of time.

And you shall return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his
commandments which I command you this day. And the Lord your G-d will
make you abundantly prosperous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of
your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your land, for
good; for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over
your fathers. (30:8,9)

© 1999 Rabbi Ari Kahn, All Rights Reserved

4
See “On Repentance” page 132ff.

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