September 4 – Nitzavim-Vayeleh
(Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30)
Sometimes we feel disconnected to Jewish traditions or rituals or ancient sacred texts, especially when we aren’t comfortable with the ancient language in which they are written. This week’s portion contains a remarkable twist of language – “I give this Torah to those of you who are standing here with us this day before Adonai your God and those who are not here this day.” The rabbis remind us that “those who are not here this day” refers to you and me – every succeeding generation of Jews for the past 3,000 years. Our challenge is to take the Judaism we inherit and make it uniquely ours, with our own language, our own meaning, and our own sense of purpose. Find one Jewish idea or ritual to think about in a new way this week.
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