Parshat Nitzavim - Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

Torah at OU.ORG
Parshat Nitzavim
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

Upon portraying the national state of destruction and desolation resulting from an individual's choosing a path which leads to abandoning the Torah, the third aliyah of this week's parshah concludes, "The hidden matters are to Hashem our God, and the revealed matters are to us and our children forever, to perform all the words of this Torah." (29:28). The proximity of this seemingly unrelated verse to the above depiction of punishment is explained by Rashi, quoting Chazal: "And should you say, 'What could we have done (to prevent punishment to the nation for the sins of individuals)? You are punishing the masses on account of the bad intentions of an individual...How can one know the thoughts of one's fellow?', (God replies) 'I do not punish you for hidden matters, for they are unto God, and He will punish such as individual; but as for the revealed matters, it is the responsibility 'for us and our children' to eradicate evil from our midst, and if we do not perform justice, the masses will be punished...'" (ibid. from Sanhedrin 43b).

The question remains, however, why the point about punishing the masses on account of individuals needed to be made at this juncture. Should not such a major rule of punishment be part of a general lesson about violating the Torah and the ramifications thereof, and thus be featured earlier, such as when the B'rachos and K'lallos (Blessings and Curses) were presented? What is it doing here? Why is it so important at this very point to note that "the hidden matters" - private sins - are in God's domain, and "revealed matters" - individual sins known to the public - are the responsibility of the nation to judge or bear repercussions? Is there a deeper message that we are being told?

Upon a broader examination of the parshah, we see the emergence of a very clear theme: making choices. The choice to cleave to Hashem, to abandon His Torah, or to return to Him comprise the entirety of the parshah. The parshah commences with the Jews ready to enter the Covenant of Arvos (Plains of) Moav, and they are warned of the ramifications of choosing to ignore God's commands. (29:17) We read further, "And you shall return unto God... And you will return and listen to the voice of Hashem...When you return...And if your heart turns aside and you do not listen...And you shall choose life" (30:2,8,10,17,19). Look at the text yourself; you will see that the entire parshah is devoted to choosing to hearken to, ignore or return to God amidst the circumstances in which Bnei Yisroel and the individual Jew finds himself.

However, three major concepts related to the making of these choices seem extremely unusual. First, we are taught that, "And it shall be, WHEN these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse..." (30:1). If there is free choice, how can God say that blessings and curses WILL occur? Second, the Torah says, "...and you SHALL chose life." (ibid. 19). Again, where's the freedom to choose? This seems like a requirement or a prophecy, rather than a choice. So, too, we are told that if we sin, the Land will be desolate and we will suffer - period. But we are then told that, "And you shall return to God...and God will reverse your exile...for God will AGAIN rejoice upon you...When you return to God" (ch. 30). Once we have sinned and been exiled and punished, how can another return be possible? How can the sins be reversed and their effects obliterated? This is against logic....

The underlying message is that we do not and cannot comprehend how Hashem perceives and addresses human events. All of history is before God, such that He knows the past, present and future; there is no secret or unknown to Him. On the one hand, we have free choice, yet how can we reconcile this with God's omniscient knowledge? God commands us to observe and to make the correct choice, but He gives freedom to choose. So, too, we are warned of the punishments for sin, yet we are instructed that we will repent and be rewarded for our actions, the former sin somehow being erased from history. These are all paradoxes that are beyond human reasoning, and only God Himself - whose knowledge is infinite -can reconcile it all and control seemingly contradictory systems and ideas. Free Will versus Divine Providence; historical sins being obliterated; these are God's ways that are utterly inscrutable and remain a mystery for humanity. Only God can relate to and fathom them, for He is limitless and boundless; we are limited and bounded, thus unable to understand God's ways.

This is the very answer to the question posed above. After reading of the evil that was to befall the Jews for those who chose to abandon God's Word, we are told that the systems of free choice and teshuva - the primary themes of the parshah - are within God's purview, and we cannot grasp them. These are the eternal secrets of Hashem, and they are wholly forever in his domain. The "hidden matters" are not for us to understand; it is impossible. The individual who sins privately will be dealt with by God, as all that is hidden is in His domain, unreachable to humans. Rather, the "revealed matters" - keeping the Torah and repenting when we sin - are clear to us and are within our grasp. We are entrusted to adhere to them, and they are our permanent responsibility and bond with the Eternal and Infinite.

For a full library of divrei Torah, please see TorahHeights.com

Archive