Parashat Nitzavim: Standing United

“You Are All Standing Here Today” – A Timeless Message

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, we hear Moshe Rabbeinu’s words echo through the generations:“You are all standing here today.”

We, too, are standing. At the close of a year filled with moments of joy and challenge, we find ourselves still standing—together, with strength and purpose. That’s the message of Parashat Nitzavim and the message of Emunah V’Simcha: we continue to move forward, no matter what.

Let This Shabbat Set the Tone for the Year

This final Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah holds tremendous power. It’s an opportunity to usher in tranquility, meaning, and calm—a tone-setter for all the Shabbatot to come.

Bring it in just a bit earlier. Prepare with presence. Let it be a Shabbat that declares, “Hashem, I know where I stand, and I know where I want to go.”

Teshuvah: Not in the Heavens, But in Our Hearts

Moshe reminds us: even when we stray, Hashem’s love never fades. Like the tzaddik who waited patiently for his assimilated son to return—saying, “Let him knock at my door at midnight, I’ll take him back no matter what”—Hashem waits for us.

Teshuvah isn’t abstract. It’s not beyond reach.

“כִּי קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד – it is very close to you.”In your mouth, in your heart—just say it. Just feel it. And act.

You Must Take the First Step

Many wait for someone to pull them toward change. But as we learn from Rabbi Elazar ben Durdaya, real transformation begins with self-accountability. “The matter depends on me.”

A powerful story from Miami illustrates this truth: a secular Jew watching a group head to Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah followed them—almost involuntarily. That first step led him back to Yiddishkeit. Rav Chaim Kanievsky explained:

“Hashem opens the door—but you must knock.”

Trusting Hashem Like a Child

A Russian rabbi once told of an acrobat who walked a tightrope across two mountains. When asked who dared sit in the barrel he’d push across, only a young girl volunteered—because it was her father.

She said, “I trust my father. He won’t let me fall.”

On Rosh Hashanah, we declare:

“לַה' הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ – the world belongs to Hashem.”He’s our Father. He won’t let us fall. All we need is trust—and effort.

From Golah to Geulah: Bringing Hashem In

Every challenge (chov) transforms to good (tov) when you add Aleph—when you bring Hashem in.Golah (exile) becomes Geulah (redemption) when Hashem is part of your life.

As Queen Esther declared before entering danger:

“וּבְכֵן” – I’m in Your hands, Hashem.So too, we approach Rosh Hashanah with this awareness. We place our future in His hands—confident, yet humble.

The Shofar: When Words Fail, the Heart Speaks

On Rosh Hashanah, we may feel overwhelmed. We may not have the right words, the strength, or the clarity. And so Hashem gives us the shofar.

The sound bypasses words. It pierces the heart.

Like Sarah Imeinu, who conceived on Rosh Hashanah,Like Yosef HaTzaddik, who was redeemed on this day—We, too, can begin anew.

Change Begins with One Small Knock

As we say in Selichot:

“כְּדַלִּים וְרָשִׁים דָּפַקְנוּ דַּלְתֶּךָ – Like paupers, we knocked.”We don’t need perfection. We need sincerity. Each of us is here for a reason.

Hashem created Adam HaRishon on Rosh Hashanah to remind us: You matter. You can change the world—starting with a single step.

May We All Be Inscribed for a Good Year

Let this year be one of brachot, yeshuot, and revealed kindness. Let the sound of the shofar awaken within us a deep desire to live more meaningfully, love more wholly, and serve Hashem with renewed strength.

May you be blessed with a sweet and uplifting new year. 2020