Rabbi Daniel: Thoughts on Torah

Dear friends,

Our congregation regularly reads Torah according to the triennial system (rotating amongst the first of three-thirds, the second of three thirds, and the third of three thirds each year), but as it happens parshat Nitzavim is read each year in its entirety.  Therefore the first aliyah of the third triennial is the same as the first aliyah for the whole parsha.  The second verse from the first aliyah concludes God's proclamation to the people that begins:

"אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה

You stand this day, all of you, before your God" (29:9) 

"מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ..."
"...from woodchopper to water drawer—" (29:10)

One might think that as the "all of you" in verse 9 gets flushed out through the rest of the verse and into verse 10, the reference to the woodchoppers and the water drawers would be a statement about their lower status in society.  According to the 16th century Italian commentator Sforno, this is not the case.  He says that the phrase actually means: "from the leader of the wood choppers to the most lowly of the water carriers...i.e. the highest ranking within its category to the lowliest ranking." 

Unfortunately in our days certain professions do seem to carry higher statuses than others but rather than making a statement about which professions carry greater weight in a society, we have instead a statement about how every member of a group is valued regardless of status.

What a great parsha to have right before Rosh Hashanah.  May we all feel worthy of standing before God during this holiday season.

 - Rabbi Daniel