Parshat Nitzavim-Vayeilech
by Rabbi Joe Wolfson
אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ טַפְּכֶ֣ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וְגֵ֣רְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֑יךָ מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ׃ לְעָבְרְךָ֗ בִּבְרִ֛ית יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּבְאָלָת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כֹּרֵ֥ת עִמְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
You stand this day, all of you, before the LORD your God—your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawer— to enter into the covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;
As Moshe draws to the close of Sefer Devarim - and the close of his time on earth - he addresses the people one last time. Yet something is different this time. Throughout the Torah Moshe has addressed the people without any distinction among them. The phrase וידבר משה אל העם - and Moshe spoke to the people appears many dozens of times. Yet at this juncture Moshe gives voice to the diversity of the Jewish people: the highest to the lowest, the oldest to the youngest, men and women, local and foreigner.
Why? Because Moshe knows that if the Jewish people are to survive after he is gone, there needs to be space made for everyone. Every Jew, no matter their age, economic station, or gender needs to feel that they have a home in their tradition.
The Sages (Shemot Rabba #21) give voice to a similar idea in a beautiful midrash about the nature of community prayer.
Rav Yehuda bar Shalom said in the name of R’ Elazar. A man of flesh and blood, if a poor man requests something of him it is unlikely that he will listen, yet if a wealthy one requests something, he will respond immediately and fulfill it. Yet Hashem is not like this, rather all are equal before him, women and slaves, poor and wealthy. Know that the same is written of Mosheh, the master of all the prophets, as is written of a pauper. Of Mosheh it is written (Tehillim 90), ‘A prayer of Mosheh the man of God’ and of a pauper it is written (Tehillim 102), ‘A prayer of a poor man, as he spills his words out before God.’ This one and that one are called prayer, that you should know that all are equal in prayer before the Almighty One.
Moshe Rabbeinu - the greatest prophet who ever lived - prays. And so does a simple poor man. Both are prayer. And both are equal before God.
This is an idea that the Stanton Street Community understands very well. ‘All are welcome. All will feel welcome.’
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