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No Time For Torah?

Parshat Nitzavim: Deuteronomy
29:9-30:20; Isaiah 61:10-63:9.

T

he Children of Israel stood at
go to shul again this week.
the banks of the Jordan River,
Is it farfetched to presume that
ready to enter the Promised
Moses may have struggled with the
Land, when they heard God’s words:
same dilemma that our community
“I make this covenant, with
faces today? How do we bal-
its sanctions, not with you
ance our commitment to
alone, but both with those who
Judaism with so many other
are standing here with us this
commitments in our lives?
day before Adonai our God and
Some days it is difficult to
with those who are not with us
find time to breathe, much
here this day. (Deuteronomy
less an extra moment to con-
29:13-14)
nect with our spiritual side.
Most commentators interpret
How do we go to services
this to mean that God made an Rabbi Mark
when we need to go to the
Miller
eternal covenant — not only
gym? How do we attend a
with the generation who wan-
class when dinner needs to
dered in the desert (“those who
be made? How do we mobi-
are standing here”), but also with their lize for social justice when we have
descendants (“those who are not with
to drive carpool to our child’s soccer
us here”). But I wonder if our tradition game? How do we pay attention to a
is speaking to us in more direct terms. full calendar of Jewish holidays when
Imagine the scene — a vast com-
we have to pay attention to a full cal-
munity of ancient Israelites, gathered
endar of important meetings?
at the edge of the Promised Land after
On the other hand, what do all those
40 years of wandering. Moses stands
daily obligations mean if we never take
above them, preaching yet again the
time to respond to the basic human
most important lessons they should
need to connect with our community
remember if they want to be success-
and with our God? Judaism is there to
ful. The Torah often speaks to us about help us make sense of these struggles
the ideal — the way things should be.
and to assist us in making even ordi-
But we know from our own experi-
nary moments feel extraordinary.
ences that often, things are not quite
As we approach what is sure to be
ideal.
a busy, demanding and, yes, fulfill-
Perhaps as our people gathered to
ing new year, I hope each of us can
hear God’s instructions, there were
remember what I believe is a central
some who never got the memo. Maybe message of Torah: Wherever you are
some decided to stay back and relax in and whatever you are doing, the cov-
their tents. Some may have been out
enant will always be here for you.
hunting for dinner. Perchance some
Wishing you a sweet and happy
were playing tennis or shopping or
5777 — Shanah Tovah!
picking their kids up from school. Still
Mark Miller is senior rabbi at Temple Beth El in
others may simply have decided they
Bloomfield Township.
had heard enough and didn’t need to

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2020090

September 29 • 2016

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