Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on September 19, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen
Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah. דְּבָרִים כט:ט “אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם: רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם, כֹּל, אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל”. “Today you are all standing before the Lord your God, your leaders, your tribal chiefs, your elders, your law enforces, every Israelite man.” Continue Reading »
Posted on September 17, 2014 by Geo Poor
Parshat Nitzavim starts with the children of Israel nitzavim – standing – before God and community, ready to enter into covenant, a covenant with rights and responsibilities, in order to become established as a people. At first glance, this seemed to me like a perfectly logical entrance to a covenant, but then it occurred to Continue Reading »
Posted on September 17, 2014 by David Wallach
This Shabbat in synagogue (or at the shabbaton, woot!), we will read the joint parshiot of Nitzavim and Va’Yelech. The Jewish calender has it that Parshat Nitzavim always falls out before Rosh Hashana. A coincidence like this causes us, the readers of the Torah, to ask, “so nu? What’s the connection? Why must this parsha always fall out before Continue Reading »
Posted on August 30, 2013 by David Bogomolny
We currently find ourselves in the Hebrew month of Elul, counting down the days to Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New Year). Traditionally, many Jews recite Psalm 27 every morning during the month of Elul and through the High Holy Days, and I’d like to bring our attention to the final pasuk (verse) of this psalm: Continue Reading »
Posted on August 27, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Rabbi Meir Schweiger discusses parshiot Nitzavim and Vayelech. Nitzavim-Vayelekh
Posted on September 19, 2012 by Derek Kwait
Shabbat shalom. My dvar hangs on the verses from the Parsha, “Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, but with those that stand here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day,” which means us, and “All Continue Reading »
Posted on September 19, 2012 by Eric Feldman
What would you do if you were greater than you are? In Judaism, hypothetical situations are occasionally used in order to put ourselvest in a certain mindset – for example, on Passover, we imagine what it would have been like to have been slaves in Egypt. And now, with these weeks of transformation upon us, Continue Reading »
Posted on September 16, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media
When we arrive at Nitzavim, we know we are coming to the end of the Five Books of Moses. Only a few parshiot remain: Vayelech, Ha’azinu and V’zot Habrachah. Each of these is like the tone of a closing bell that announces the end of our wanderings b’midbar and the beginning of a new journey Continue Reading »
Posted on September 16, 2012 by Abayiss
Shabbat Shalom everyone, I hope you are all enjoying our first Shabbaton, communal weekend, so far, resting from the past week, and gathering energy for the next one. This week’s Torah Portion opens with the words “אתם ניצבים היום כולכם”, “Ye are standing this day, all of you” (דברים כ”ט, ט’, Deut. 29:9). All of Continue Reading »
Posted on September 25, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s double parsha nitzavim and va’yelech, we edge closer and closer to our separation with moshe and our coming together in the land of israel. as God runs through His final instructions with moshe, He reveals that no sooner than moshe dies and the people enter the land, they are going to sin, Continue Reading »
