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