Eternity Within the Moment: Nitzavim.22

 Eternity Within the Moment

D’var Torah for Parashat Nitzavim

By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman

Nitzavim (“You Are Standing,” Deuteronomy 29:9—30:20), this week’s Torah reading, occupies a special place in Jewish ritual and philosophy. It is considered such an important reading that in the Reform tradition, on Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, verses from this portion are read instead of the more traditional recitation of the sacrifices that were offered at the Temple in Jerusalem.

The idea that we are all “standing here today” regardless of time or age is steeped in the thought of an afterlife—a topic that was current in all religions at the time. But there is no talk here of heaven or hell, or even of an afterlife itself. Eternal life is not a physical idea in this portion. Rather, it is the eternity of the Jewish People—past, present and future. Moreover, the emphasis is not on some metaphysical idea like reincarnation. It’s all about Eternity contained in the Moment. 

The portion reminds us not to look for God above the heavens or beyond the seas. God’s reality is made real and evident by the work of our hands. There are no secret handshakes or rituals that make us eligible for the life of eternity, only how we treat one another in this world. 

But there is another reason why this section of the Torah was chosen for Yom Kippur. It contains the idea of Return and Repentance. The idea that we can stray from the path of God is nothing new. However, that God will always accept our return is. On Yom Kippur we are reminded that our repentance is accepted to the very last moment. This idea is behind the almost-universal rejection of capital punishment among the Jewish People. It’s not a simple concept; how long can a person sin before their penance is no longer acceptable? Pharaoh’s “hardening of the heart” is one example of the limits even God places on repentance. For the rest of us, however, as long as we cease walking on the wrong path and return to God’s ways, God is always there to receive us with love.

There are no pyramids or ziggurats associated with eternal life. There is no river to cross, no ladders to climb, no institution we need to belong to. Instead of these structures, the Jewish People have placed the Torah—our Covenant between God and us—in a simpler house: Beit Sefer. Beit sefer literally means “house of the book.” Whether “book” refers to the Torah or to another book of more general learning is up to us to decide. Wide-ranging knowledge may help us understand how the world works. The Torah, on the other hand, sheds light on how to live a meaningful life. Either way, study and learning become a way of connecting with God and God’s laws.

Nitzavim reminds us of our commitment to our God, our People, and our beliefs. To a large extent, this portion is as powerful as the call of the Shofar—the ram’s horn. It is one of the reasons why at this season we gather at synagogues. It represents the moment when our own time joins the flow of eternity, when our physical presence becomes one with all those who stood—and continue to stand—at Sinai, ready to receive God’s word and take it into our own lives.

© 2022 by Boaz D. Heilman