Torah Portion of the Week

Nitzavim נצבים

Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20

Parshat Nitzavim ('You are standing') is Moses' grand covenant renewal on the last day of his life, binding not only those present — 'from your woodcutters to your water drawers' — but all future generations of Israel. He warns of the devastation that will follow abandoning God: the land burned with brimstone and salt like Sodom and Gomorrah, and the nations asking 'Why has the Lord done this to this land?' Yet the parsha pivots to one of the Torah's most hopeful prophecies: even after exile and dispersion, when Israel returns to God with all its heart, God will gather them from the farthest reaches of the earth, circumcise their hearts to love Him, and restore them to the land. Moses declares that the Torah is not remote or inaccessible — 'it is not in the heavens... nor is it across the sea... but the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.' The parsha climaxes with the most dramatic choice in all of Scripture: 'I have set before you today life and good, death and evil... I call heaven and earth as witnesses today: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse — choose life, so that you and your descendants may live.'

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The Covenant — All Israel, All Generations

הברית — כל ישראל, כל הדורות

Deuteronomy 29:9–29:14

'You are standing today, all of you, before the Lord your God — your heads, your tribes, your elders, your officers, every man of Israel; your children, your wives, and the stranger in your camp, from your woodcutter to your water drawer — to enter into the covenant of the Lord your God and into His oath, which the Lord your God is making with you today, in order to establish you today as His people, and He will be your God, as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers — to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.' But the covenant's scope extends beyond those present: 'Not with you alone do I make this covenant and this oath, but with whoever stands here with us today before the Lord our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.' Every future generation is included.

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Warning Against Secret Idolatry

אזהרה מפני עבודה זרה בסתר

Deuteronomy 29:15–29:28

Moses reminds the people of the abominations they saw in Egypt and among the nations they passed through — 'their detestable things and their idols of wood and stone, silver and gold.' He warns against any individual or family or tribe whose heart turns away to serve the gods of those nations — 'a root bearing gall and wormwood.' Such a person who hears this oath and blesses himself in his heart, saying 'I will be safe though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart' — 'the Lord will not be willing to forgive him; rather, the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man.' If the entire nation abandons the covenant, the consequences are catastrophic: 'The whole land will be brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, with no grass growing on it — like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.' The nations will ask: 'Why has the Lord done this to this land? What was this great burning anger?' The answer: 'Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers.' Moses concludes with a famous declaration: 'The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to do all the words of this Torah.'

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The Promise of Return and Restoration

הבטחת התשובה והגאולה

Deuteronomy 30:1–30:10

'When all these things come upon you — the blessing and the curse that I have set before you — and you take them to heart among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul — then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and He will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and from there He will take you. The Lord your God will bring you to the land your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.' Then the transformative promise: 'The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live.'

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The Torah Is Near — Not in Heaven

התורה קרובה — לא בשמים היא

Deuteronomy 30:11–30:14

Moses addresses any claim that the Torah is beyond reach: 'For this commandment that I command you today — it is not too wondrous for you and it is not too distant. It is not in the heavens, that you should say: Who will go up to the heavens for us and take it for us, and let us hear it so we may do it? And it is not across the sea, that you should say: Who will cross the sea for us and take it for us, and let us hear it so we may do it? Rather, the word is very near to you — in your mouth and in your heart — to do it.' This passage became a foundational text in rabbinic Judaism, cited in the Talmud (Bava Metzia 59b) to establish that once the Torah was given at Sinai, its interpretation belongs to the human court, not to heavenly voices.

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Choose Life

ובחרת בחיים

Deuteronomy 30:15–30:20

The climactic declaration: 'See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances — and you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, and you are drawn to bow down to other gods and serve them — I declare to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days on the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.' Moses calls the cosmos itself as witness: 'I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, so that you and your descendants may live — to love the Lord your God, to obey His voice, and to cleave to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days, to dwell on the land the Lord swore to your fathers — to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob — to give them.'

Prophetic Reading

Haftarah הפטרה

Isaiah 61:10–63:9

ישעיהו

The final of the Seven Haftarot of Consolation — Isaiah rejoices that God has clothed Israel in garments of salvation. This echoes the parsha's promise that God will circumcise their hearts and restore them.

Full Text

Parshat Nitzavim

Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20 · 40 verses

First Aliyah

ראשוןDeuteronomy 29:9–29:11

Chapter 29

פרק 29

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9 אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

10 טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶֽיךָ

11 לְעׇבְרְךָ בִּבְרִית יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבְאָלָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כֹּרֵת עִמְּךָ הַיּֽוֹם

9 You stand this day, all of you, before the ETERNAL your God: your tribal heads, your elders, and your officials—the entire body of Israel —

10 Your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to waterdrawer,

11 To enter into the covenant of the ETERNAL your God, which the ETERNAL your God is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;

9 You stand this day, all of you, before the ETERNAL your God: your tribal heads, your elders, and your officials—the entire body of Israel —

10 טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶֽיךָ

10 Your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to waterdrawer,

11 לְעׇבְרְךָ בִּבְרִית יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבְאָלָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כֹּרֵת עִמְּךָ הַיּֽוֹם

11 To enter into the covenant of the ETERNAL your God, which the ETERNAL your God is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;

Second Aliyah

שניDeuteronomy 29:12–29:14

Chapter 29

פרק 29

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12 לְמַעַן הָקִֽים אֹתְךָ הַיּוֹם לוֹ לְעָם וְהוּא יִֽהְיֶה לְּךָ לֵֽאלֹהִים כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב

13 וְלֹא אִתְּכֶם לְבַדְּכֶם אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת אֶת הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וְאֶת הָאָלָה הַזֹּֽאת

14 כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶשְׁנוֹ פֹּה עִמָּנוּ עֹמֵד הַיּוֹם לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ פֹּה עִמָּנוּ הַיּֽוֹם

12 In order to establish you this day as God’s people and in order to be your God, as promised you and as sworn to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

13 I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone,

14 But both with those who are standing here with us this day before the ETERNAL our God and with those who are not with us here this day.

12 In order to establish you this day as God’s people and in order to be your God, as promised you and as sworn to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

13 וְלֹא אִתְּכֶם לְבַדְּכֶם אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת אֶת הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וְאֶת הָאָלָה הַזֹּֽאת

13 I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone,

14 But both with those who are standing here with us this day before the ETERNAL our God and with those who are not with us here this day.

Third Aliyah

שלישיDeuteronomy 29:15–29:28

Chapter 29

פרק 29

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15 כִּֽי אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָשַׁבְנוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר עָבַרְנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר עֲבַרְתֶּֽם

16 וַתִּרְאוּ אֶת שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם וְאֵת גִּלֻּלֵיהֶם עֵץ וָאֶבֶן כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב אֲשֶׁר עִמָּהֶֽם

17 פֶּן יֵשׁ בָּכֶם אִישׁ אֽוֹ אִשָּׁה אוֹ מִשְׁפָּחָה אוֹ שֵׁבֶט אֲשֶׁר לְבָבוֹ פֹנֶה הַיּוֹם מֵעִם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ לָלֶכֶת לַעֲבֹד אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם הָהֵם פֶּן יֵשׁ בָּכֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ פֹּרֶה רֹאשׁ וְלַעֲנָֽה

18 וְהָיָה בְּשׇׁמְעוֹ אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָאָלָה הַזֹּאת וְהִתְבָּרֵךְ בִּלְבָבוֹ לֵאמֹר שָׁלוֹם יִֽהְיֶה לִּי כִּי בִּשְׁרִרוּת לִבִּי אֵלֵךְ לְמַעַן סְפוֹת הָרָוָה אֶת הַצְּמֵאָֽה

19 לֹא יֹאבֶה יְהֹוָה סְלֹחַֽ לוֹ כִּי אָז יֶעְשַׁן אַף יְהֹוָה וְקִנְאָתוֹ בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא וְרָבְצָה בּוֹ כׇּל הָאָלָה הַכְּתוּבָה בַּסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה וּמָחָה יְהֹוָה אֶת שְׁמוֹ מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

20 וְהִבְדִּילוֹ יְהֹוָה לְרָעָה מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אָלוֹת הַבְּרִית הַכְּתוּבָה בְּסֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּֽה

21 וְאָמַר הַדּוֹר הָאַחֲרוֹן בְּנֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר יָקוּמוּ מֵאַחֲרֵיכֶם וְהַנׇּכְרִי אֲשֶׁר יָבֹא מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָה וְרָאוּ אֶת מַכּוֹת הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא וְאֶת תַּחֲלֻאֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר חִלָּה יְהֹוָה בָּֽהּ

22 גׇּפְרִית וָמֶלַח שְׂרֵפָה כׇל אַרְצָהּ לֹא תִזָּרַע וְלֹא תַצְמִחַ וְלֹא יַעֲלֶה בָהּ כׇּל עֵשֶׂב כְּֽמַהְפֵּכַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה אַדְמָה (וצביים) [וּצְבוֹיִם] אֲשֶׁר הָפַךְ יְהֹוָה בְּאַפּוֹ וּבַחֲמָתֽוֹ

23 וְאָֽמְרוּ כׇּל הַגּוֹיִם עַל מֶה עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה כָּכָה לָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת מֶה חֳרִי הָאַף הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּֽה

24 וְאָמְרוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר עָזְבוּ אֶת בְּרִית יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָם אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת עִמָּם בְּהוֹצִיאוֹ אֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם

25 וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּֽעַבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא יְדָעוּם וְלֹא חָלַק לָהֶֽם

26 וַיִּחַר אַף יְהֹוָה בָּאָרֶץ הַהִוא לְהָבִיא עָלֶיהָ אֶת כׇּל הַקְּלָלָה הַכְּתוּבָה בַּסֵּפֶר הַזֶּֽה

27 וַיִּתְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה מֵעַל אַדְמָתָם בְּאַף וּבְחֵמָה וּבְקֶצֶף גָּדוֹל וַיַּשְׁלִכֵם אֶל אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּֽה

28 הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָׄנׄוּׄ וּׄלְׄבָׄנֵׄיׄנׄוּׄ עַׄד עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כׇּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּֽאת

15 Well you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we passed through the midst of various other nations;

16 And you have seen the detestable things and the fetishes of wood and stone, silver and gold, that they keep.

17 Perchance there is among you some man or woman, or some clan or tribe, whose heart is even now turning away from the ETERNAL our God to go and worship the gods of those nations—perchance there is among you a stock sprouting poison weed and wormwood.

18 When hearing the words of these sanctions, they may imagine a special immunity, thinking, “I shall be safe, though I follow my own willful heart”—to the utter ruin of moist and dry alike.

19 GOD will never forgive them. Rather, GOD’s anger and passion will rage against them, till every sanction recorded in this book comes down upon them, and GOD blots out their name from under heaven.

20 [As for such a clan or tribe,] GOD will single it out from all the tribes of Israel for misfortune, in accordance with all the sanctions of the covenant recorded in this book of Teaching.

21 And later generations will ask—the children who succeed you, and foreigners who come from distant lands and see the plagues and diseases that GOD has inflicted upon that land,

22 All its soil devastated by sulfur and salt, beyond sowing and producing, no grass growing in it, just like the upheaval of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which GOD overthrew in fierce anger—

23 All nations will ask, “Why did GOD do thus to this land? Wherefore that awful wrath?”

24 They will be told, “Because they forsook the covenant that the ETERNAL , God of their ancestors, made with them upon freeing them from the land of Egypt;

25 They turned to the service of other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not experienced and who had not been allotted to them.

26 So GOD was incensed at that land and brought upon it all the curses recorded in this book.

27 GOD uprooted them from their soil in anger, fury, and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as is still the case.”

28 Concealed acts concern the ETERNAL our God; but with overt acts, it is for us and our children ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching.