28 | SEPTEMBER 10 • 2020 

W

e are but a week 
away from the 
Jewish new year of 
5781, simultaneously observ-
ing Shabbat and the 19th 
anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. 
Since we are in the 
midst of a pandemic 
and at the height 
of the presidential 
campaign, we have so 
many thoughts and 
feelings colliding. I 
think we need this 
Shabbat to reflect on 
where we are going 
and where we have 
been these past few 
months. 
Our Torah portion 
relates to such a time 
as Moses prepared to 
leave this earth and 
pass the leadership to Joshua; 
the people are preparing 
to leave their wilderness 
existence and move into the 
Promised Land. What awaits 
them and us? 
While we never know the 
exact answer to this, (or as 
the Israeli song says Ke she 
navo nimtza teshuvah —
When we get there we will 
find the answer) we do know 
that what we have done or 
not done in the past year 
does matter in determining 
where we will be going. It is 
incumbent on us to reflect on 
our actions, our words, our 
thoughts — to do teshuvah, 
a returning and a turning to 
our best selves. 
But teshuvah is not a 
quick fix — just saying a 
few prayers for forgiveness, 
apologizing to someone 
and then being done. It is a 
process which takes time; it 
is a change in our behavior, 
in our thoughts and in our 
hearts. When have we really 
achieved this change? Our 

sages tell us in the Talmud 
(Yoma 86b) that one test is 
when we are confronted by 
the same temptation on two 
future occasions, and we 
choose to act properly. 
In the process of doing 
this self-reflection, this 
heshbon hanefesh, we 
may often find a discon-
nect between our con-
science and our conduct, 
between the image we 
project and our actual 
behavior. Here is where 
we must not despair; we 
must begin to take the 
first steps to bridge the 
gap and to know that 
God is pushing us in 
this direction, cheering 
us on. “Make an open-
ing for repentance as 
large as the eye of a nee-
dle, and I will make it large 
enough for wagons and car-
riages to pass”(Song of Songs 
Rabbah 5:2.).
Maimonides cautions us 
that there are things that can 
get in the way of the process 
of turning — such as acting 
out of anger, elevating one-
self at the expense of others, 
condemning others with 
suspicions instead of proof 
and standing aloof from the 
community. (Mishneh Torah, 
Teshuvah). But once we are 
ready to admit our shortcom-
ings, repentance can become 
a motivating force to not only 
grow in awareness but also to 
go forward to make perma-
nent changes for good in our 
lives.
As Moses said to Joshua on 
taking this new role: Hazak 
v’
ematz — be strong and have 
courage! 

 
Rabbi Dorit Edut is the head of the 
Detroit Interfaith Outreach Network, 
serves Temple Beth Israel in Bay 
City and teaches privately.

Parshat 

Nitzavim/

Vayelekh: 

Deuteronomy 

29:9-31:30; 

Isaiah 

61:10-63:9.

Rabbi Dorit 
Edut

Spirit
torah portion

The Need To Reflect

