Shabbat Greetings
Here we are, the last Shabbat of 5784 – what an incredible and challenging year we’ve had. This week’s double Torah portion, Nitzavim-Vayelech (Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30) brings us almost to the end of the book of Deuteronomy. In the portion, we are standing a little bit and walking a little bit. That’s the human condition, we are standing and walking. There is a line from this portion that brings us back to the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy. Moses says, “I cannot come and go anymore” (31:2).
Does this familiar in the last year of our lives? From the horrific events on October 7th in Israel, the ongoing challenges of increased antisemitism, and political rhetoric from all sides that denigrate and deny the humanity of people? Is it any wonder we may feel that we cannot come and go anymore?!
In the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses says, “I cannot carry you alone” (1:9) and in the beginning of this portion, he says, I cannot come and go anymore.” What is Moses really telling us? What does this have to do with the way we are living our lives right now?
The Chernobyl Rebbe (Rabbi Mordechai Twersky – 1770-1837) says that Moses means he cannot come and go for his wisdom and for his knowledge. When we normally learn, some things we hold on to, some things fall away to the side, some things we remember and some things as if we never learned them before. Moses is saying ‘I can no longer forget, I can no longer not know’ and that means he has exceeded the human condition and he says, “that’s not a life.”
This is our last Shabbat of the year. We have an opportunity to reflect back and we have a moment to reflect forward. What is it in this period we find ourselves saying “I can’t any longer?” This phrase, “I can’t” also harkens back to when God reveals God’s Presence to Moses at the burning bush. There, we see the burning bush not consumed.
On this Shabbat, I want to invite us to look at both sides of our existence right now. Parts of ourselves that are not consumed, the situations and this year have not consumed us. A moment, an element of ourselves that we are strong and we cannot be consumed. We are that burning bush, we can’t be consumed. And yet, there are things I can no longer carry. There are some things “I can’t come and go”. Some things I cannot negotiate. It’s ok to say at this point, to say, “We are tired. It has been a hard year and we are tired.”
I’m asking that this Shabbat you take a few moments to ask yourself: where are you strong? Where is your core inside of you and holding you? Also, some things that maybe have fallen to the side, that have become hard, those, as well, can be examined. And I pray and I bless us all on this last Shabbat of the year, we can lift up and elevate all of the Shabbatots of the year. I pray for us all, not only a Shabbat Shalom but a Shana Tova u’Metuka. I wish for us to muster up inside ourselves sweetness, transformation, and transition a good and sweet year for ourselves – mostly a year of health and healing for ourselves and for our families – for all of God’s children throughout the world.
SHABBAT SHALOM