Nitzavim, נִצָּבִים "Standing" Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20

Nitzavim / Preparing For 5782

Poetic notes and meditations for the parashat Nitzavim*

The King is in the field

the field of our labours

In the year of the King 5782

A year of wonder and awe for all

Come out into the field of the King

Let us meet face to face!

A softer face to a softer face

Let us erase our senseless hatred

Behold a universe in three verses:

A universe of life in the voice of a priest:

May the Lord bless you and guard you

May the Lord shine the light of his face upon you

and give you grace

May the Lord lift up the light of his face to you

and make you peace!

...make you Torah

...make you these and these

living words of the Living God

Come to the revelation of the resolution

of all conflict

and the unification of all opposition

Come to the place where the future rests

where All Israel is woven as one fabric

Come to the revelation of the Mashiach

where the fabric of All Israel encircles him like a robe

Come to the love at the foot of the crown

The sages warred and the sages roared

The sages sat down in peace

at the foot of the crown

having done all for the sake of kindness

Adam was shattered, Adam was scattered

Come to the gathering of Adam

in one divine root

This is Torah Shalom

the wind in God's flute

The melody is very close to you

in your mouth and in your heart

that you may dance in joy to do it

In one hundred and thirty seven notes

God transcends his own transcendence

God flies in transcendent infinity

and comes to sit in peace upon his throne

and the melody of creation is complete

Here you are, over there is me

with reconciling love

at the foot of the crown of unity

The mist of prayers ascend from there

You, oh Israel

are standing this day together

Tribal leaders and elders

Every soul in Israel

All the young ones

All mothers, all women

With the convert in the camp

With woodcutters and water drawers

Scattered minds gathered with one ear

Gathered into one understanding

in the Divine Presence

meeting HaShem at the corner

at the centre of the circle of holiness

the first holding hands with the last

God's heart hidden amidst them

God's desire condenses

in the prayers of the righteous

as the light of God forms beauty

God embraces Jerusalem

softened face to softened face

Here is the metamorphosis

of the heavens and the earth

the transcendent beautifications of prayer

the mansions that God calls home

We do not know what we shall pray

The Master of Prayer shall lead us

This is the voice that sings the letters

and the letters become God's word

and God's word becomes life

and life becomes eternal

Today, if you hear his voice

soften your heart, soften your face

Allow his prayer to encircle your ear

Meet him there in equality's circle

at the organic circle's corner

To lay the foundation stone

the stone of repentance

on Rosh Hashanah

Wonder of wonders, Israel persevered

to enter the Holy of Holies!

I am a worm and not human

The fire of antisemitism has consumed me

Out of the mist of the Shechinah I was born

His prayer will be made known

to a newborn people

Stay calm! Be quiet!

The God of wisdom

understanding and knowledge

is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

This is the year of their prayer

the year of the renewed mind

when the left hand and the right hand

emerge from beneath the wings of angels

Abraham bound Isaac in faith

Isaac gave birth to Jacob on the wings

of the everlasting covenant of peace

the bond of unity in all adversity

Here you are, over there is me

Transcendent beautifying love

at the foot of the crown of unity

This is the prayer from the mists of hope

Remember the binding of Isaac with mercy

Remember with mercy

the sacrifice of the Jewish soul

Let the awe of absolute justice

and the grace of absolute mercy be one

Let the evil inclination be crushed

and made like mortar between the stones

in the house of prayer

the good house of repentance

righteous repentance

Two pillars before Solomon's Temple

two feet of faith

these are a firm foundation for life

For the Lord disciplines the ones he loves

both the boy and the girl

and leads them in the pathways of learning

through the circles of prayer

following the Master of Prayer

the image of God learning to be like God

learning to reflect God

not only God's handiwork

but to reflect the very name of God

to calm creation and quiet it

until all creatures can hear

the voice of the Master of Prayer

and be led in prayer

Then the boy and the girl

will be one adult Israel

one newborn Adam

And their prayer of thanksgiving will be one

and their children a family of peace

Who is this nation come out of prison?

Come out of the captivity of hatred?

It is Israel gathered at the River Jordan

Gathered by Moshe

Gathered by the Head of Days

Gathered in intense friendship

And in covenant blood

A covenant able to erase sin

A friendship, a covenant, a bond

that makes Israel a portion of God

a permanent portion of his heart

This is Rosh Hashanah

the secret of Israel’s repentance

This is the covenant of peace

The Head of Israel’s Torah

The source of her mitzvot

So that the matter is very close

sung in Israel’s mouth and in her heart

It is what she does

*Being a meditation with poetic notes on a teaching by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, found here, with the transcript for this video found here. This is together with a class on Rosh HaShannah, from the parashah of Nitzavim, by Rabbi Baitelman of ChaBaD Richmond, B.C., based on the series, Torah Studies, by Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. Neither Rabbi Ginsburgh, Rabbi Baitelman, nor the JLI have reviewed or approved of the content of this post.