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TORAH PORTIONS

THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION

DEUTERONOMY 29:9-31:30

Parashat Nitzavim-Veyeilech / ךליו־םיבצנ תשרפ

In this week’s guide…

This week’s COMMENTARY from Rabbi Jason is a bit longer than usual, but you will be rewarded for your effort. This portion is essential to prepare us for the Fall Feasts of the Lord and Jason has done a masterful job of helping us calibrate our hearts and minds to participate faithfully. One of the reasons for this substantive piece is that we need to have our minds renewed on the subject of teshuvah, better known as “repentance.” This season of anticipation is also a season of reflection and renewal..............................................................................................

Our NEW TESTAMENT TIE-IN examines a concept that appears in this week’s Torah portion and the book of Hebrews. Building off of Rabbi Jason’s focus on the communal life, we will discover the source of a “bitter root” as well as its effects. And perhaps most importantly, this article offers a prescription to this soul condition.......................................................................................................................

BY THE NUMBERS unravels the wealth of wisdom available to us through connections related to the 1116. This number is rooted in the upcoming Jewish New Year and reveals God’s gracious provision, as well as His kingly glory. You will finish this article with worship your heart and praise on your lips!......................

Nitzavim ( םיבצנ ) means “standing,” as in, “You are standing (nitzavim) today, all of you, before ADONAI your God” (Deut 29:9/TLV).

Vayelech ( ךליו ) means “and he went.” This portion’s title comes from the first word of the first verse of the portion: “The Moses went (vayelech) and spoke these words to all Israel” (Deut 31:1/TLV).

OVERVIEW

Several times over the course of the Torah portion lectionary schedule we encounter “double portions.” By combining two Torah portions in a given year (it changes from year to year), we stay on course to read through the Books of Moses in a 52-week period. This week—prior to the Rosh Hashana holiday—we will study through our final double portion of 5780.

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FUSION GLOBAL WITH RABBI JASON Weekly Torah Portion – Parashat Nitzavim-Veyeilech / ךליו־םיבצנ תשרפ

Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

COMMENTARY by Rabbi Jason Sobel

At first glance, it might seem odd that we read the Torah portion known as Veyeilech during this time. In this Torah portion, Moses, who has faithfully led the Children of Israel for forty years, is about to take leave and deliver the last words of the Torah to the People. One would expect the Lord to provide a message of hope or at least comfort.

Instead, we read something entirely different and even disturbing:

“And the LORD said to Moses: ‘You are going to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.’”

“For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made.” - Deuteronomy 31:16, 29 (NIV)

Rabbi Sforno commenting on these verses writes:

“I shall relate this song, and bear witness against you, that I knew you would act in such a way that evil would befall you. [This happened] in order that you should not ascribe future [events] simply to happenstance but rather you will ascribe them to your sinful actions, and thus consider returning [to the Lord], similar to [what the prophet Isaiah said], ‘Therefore I have declared to you from of old, before it came to pass I announced it to you, lest you say my idol done this’ (Isa. 48:5).” - Sforno on 31:17-18

Sforno’s comments remind us that the terrible tragedies that have happened to the Jewish people have one general purpose: to cause them to repent and return to the Lord. Having feelings of regret and thoughts of making teshuvah is good, but it is not enough. The Ramban underscores this point when he states:

“They will feel sorry for their sins and recognize that they are guilty… [But they will not be shown the face of the final redemption] until they add to the aforementioned regret, real confession, and perfect repentance, as it stated above, and you shall return to the Lord your God (30:2).” - Ramban on Deut 31:18

Why is this week’s double Torah portion Nitzavim-Veyeilech read right before Rosh Hashanah or during the Ten Days of Repentance, Aseret Yemei Teshuvah? How does it help to prepare us spiritually for the High Holidays? What does it teach us about our responsibility for other Jews and the people of God in general?

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This entire Torah portion is a metaphor of repentance, teshuvah. Like the sound of the shofar (ram’s horn) blown during the Hebrew month of Elul, these Scripture passages wake us up. They remind us of the importance of repentance, which involves recognizing wrongdoing, regret, and the resolve not to commit those transgressions again. Through these verses, the Lord calls us to circumcise our hearts and remove all the obstacles that prevent us from sincerely entering into teshuvah.

The gates of heaven are never closed to one who seeks to return to God. All heaven rejoices when one who is far from God returns as Yeshua-Jesus taught, “I tell you there is joy in heaven over one sinner

“Now if their transgression leads to riches for the world, and their loss riches for the Gentiles, then how much more their fullness!…For if their rejection leads to the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:12,15).

Paul’s teaching clarifies that Israel’s return to God, Messiah, and covenantal faithfulness affect the entire world’s destiny.

Several essential prayers demonstrate the importance of this communal component. First, the pronouns used in the vital penitential prayers like the Ashamnu (click here to learn more) focus on corporate sin. On the surface, it might seem strange to confess and ask forgiveness for a litany of sins for which we are not guilty. But when we view these confessions from a corporate perspective, we realize that “all Israel is responsible for one another.” Thus, even though we might not have committed many of these sins as individuals, collectively, our people are liable. And since our fate is ultimately bound together, we must do all we can to rectify it.

Two of Israel’s most significant leaders understood and embodied this principle in their prayer lives. Both Daniel and Nehemiah confessed their guilt before God on behalf of all Israel:

“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant…we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled…To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you…O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” (Dan 9:3-5,8,19/ESV)

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(Blowing the Shofar at the Western Wall(source: Jerusalem Post)

who repents” (Luke 15:10). But there are two levels of repentance: personal and corporate or communal. Both are important. While the former is for the individual’s sake, the latter is for the nation’s sake. It is common for Christians—and even some Messianic Jews—to focus on the first while forgetting about the second. In reality, communal repentance is as necessary, and sometimes more important than an individual’s teshuvah. Personal teshuvah affects personal eternal destiny and relationship with God, but corporate teshuvah has national and universal ramifications. As Rav Shaul (the Apostle Paul) writes,

(Israeli flag at Masada)

“Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you” (Neh 1:6/ESV).

When we recite Jewish prayers of repentance known as shlichot during the High Holiday season of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we following in the footsteps of great prophets and servants of God like Moses, Daniel, and Nehemiah. These great leaders clearly understood that our destiny is ultimately bound together with Israel’s. Therefore, we must rise to the occasion during these High Holidays. We need to boldly ask God to forgive us not only as individuals but beg Him to have mercy upon all Israel in the merit of Messiah Yeshua, our Kohen HaGadol (High Priest).

God does not merely call us to repent of our transgressions alone. As followers of the Messiah, He also calls us to repent for all Israel’s sins, for they are our family, and we are one with them. Consequently, I believe it’s important for Jewish and Gentile followers of the Messiah to join the people of Israel on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and pray the traditional prayers of repentance. We should also fast for Israel’s salvation (in addition to one’s own country of origin), friends and family, and the world’s salvation.

We must feel remorse for the transgressions of, confess the sins of, and ask forgiveness and mercy on behalf of all Israel and our communities and loved ones. In doing so, we not only fulfill our calling as a holy priesthood but also emulate Messiah, our great High Priest, who lives to make intercession for the tzaddikim, the saints.

Suppose we are going to fulfill this priestly role. In that case, we must not neglect this critical task of personal and corporate teshuvah like the High Priest. He first made atonement for himself and then for the people. Perhaps our repentance will lead to a move of the Spirit that will spark a great revival before the Lord returns. Like John the Baptist, may we be the voice of repentance that cries out in the desert to prepare the Lord’s imminent return. Come, Lord Yeshua! Come quickly.

NEW TESTAMENT TIE-IN It is not uncommon for writers in the New Testament to quote sections of the Hebrew Bible and import phrases from it. We find such an expression in Hebrews, “see to it that no bitter root springs up and causes trouble” (Heb 12:15). These words echo a phrase from this week’s Torah portion, “Beware in case there is among you a root producing poison and bitter fruit” (Deut 29:18). These Spirit-breathed warnings in both “Testaments” merit our prayerful consideration.

The first thing worth noting is that Moses is speaking about this “bitter root” in the context of idolatry, specifically in the heart. Idolatry can be unseen, much like a root. As Rabbi Jason often says, “A bad root will

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(Praying at the Western Wall, from a 2020 Rock, Road, Rabbi tour)

We might be prone to think of idolatry as something those ancient or primitive people had to deal with. But, look how the Apostle Paul concluded one of his “sin lists” in the letter to the believers in Colossae: “…greed—for that is idolatry” (Col 3:5). We may not be tempted to bow before a statue, but do we struggle with greed? And can’t greed be cultivated within us in ways that are not visible to those around us?

Another component of this text is the communal effects of this “bitter root.” In Deuteronomy and Hebrews, the writers quickly draw our attention to the possibility that the people around us may suffer if a bitter root settles in our hearts. The writer of Hebrews says that “by it many [may] be defiled.” Moses speaks of “sweeping away the moist with the dry”—a mysterious phrase that

“They put gall in my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Ps 69:22). “He has filled me with bitterness and made me drink wormwood” (Lam 3:15).

Yeshua’s death on Calvary frees from bitterness and relational poison that greed and idolatry bring into our lives because. The selfishness that so easily takes root in us meets its end in the most selfless act of love there at Golgotha. As we look to Him, we are healed of the poison that has swept so many away.

BY THE NUMBERS Rosh Hashanah, according to Jewish tradition, is the time when God created the world. The first two words of the creation account in Hebrew are Beresheet Bara, translated “In the Beginning He [God] created” (Gen 1:2). The numerical value of Beresheet Bara is 1116, which is the same as “On Rosh Hashana [the world] was created" (BeRosh Hashana nivra). The shared numeric value of these two phrases underscores the connection creation and Rosh Hashanah, the Hebrew New Year's start.

Rosh Hashanah is a time of repentance and a call back to greater intimacy and connection to the Lord. Three key phrases emphasize this message in the Torah portion Netzavim with the numerical value of 1116.

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may refer to the innocent and guilty suffering together. This text is cryptic, but that interpretation connects to Abraham’s use of the same Hebrew word (caphah/ספה: to sweep away) in his dialogue with the Lord: “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen 18:23, italics added).

Friends, it’s so easy to get caught up in the powerful, yet invisible current of greed (idolatry). It’s a riptide, lurking beneath the surface of our souls, that subtly insists we should have what we want when we want it. It’s the pulling we feel in the deepest part of us when our carnal desires are left unfulfilled. In His Parable of the Soils, Yeshua spoke of “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches [that] choke the word” (Mt 13:22/ESV). This choking and churning cultivate a “bitter root” that affects the people around us, defining them.

We find hope in Yeshua. The Gospel writer tells us that “when Yeshua knew that all things were now completed, to fulfill the Scripture He said, ‘I am thirsty’” (John 19:28). What did they give Him to drink? Vinegar-wine mixed with gall—probably hemlock (click here for more info on wormwood, hemlock, and gall). Yeshua rejected that liquid earlier in His crucifixion, perhaps to not dull the pain He experienced on our behalf. Yet as His execution neared its end, He did consume the beverage, fulfilling the prophetic Hebrew writers…

The first is found in Deuteronomy 30:2, ñand return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul.ò In Hebrew, the phrase ñthe Lord your God and obey his voice in allò equals 1116. The numerical value of ñto love Adonai your God, listening to His voice, and clinging to Him. For He is your life and the length [of your daysò (Deut 30:20) is also 1116. Israelôs lack of repentance and faithfulness would cause ñthe Lord [to uproot them] from their land in anger and in fury and in great indignationò (Deut 29:28/DBY) é1116.

But of course, there is more! Rosh Hashanah celebrates not only creation but also Godôs kingship. One of the reasons we blow the shofar is to coronate the Lord as King. The phrase ñroyal crownòðketer malchut in Hebrewðequals 1116, the same as ñOn Rosh Hashanah [the world] was created.ò Only after the Lord created the angels and humanity was He proclaimed King and crowned with the royal crown.

But of course, there is even more! The phrase ñroyal crownò alludes to King Messiah. He was destined to rule and reign over all creation. The numerical value of ñroyal crownò connects to the names and identity of the Messiah. The four Hebrew names of the Messiah found in Isaiah 9:5 add up to 1116:

ñWonderful Counselorò/Pele Yoetz ñMighty Godò/El Gibbor ñFather of Eternityò/Avi Ad ñPrince of [Peace]ò/Sar Shalom

Another name of the Messianic King, according to Jewish tradition, is Yinnon, which means ñMay He endure foreverò as in ñMay his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!ò (Ps 72:17/ESV). Yinnon also equals 1116.

Also, 1116 is the mathematical value of a couple of crucial Hebrew phrases found in Genesis 22, ñAnd they came to the place which God said to himò (v. 9) and ñThe ram he offered as a burnt offering instead of [his son]ò (v. 13).

This detail is impressive because Genesis 22 is the passage read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Abraham offered Isaac on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and the primary reason we blow the shofar (ramôs horn) on Rosh Hashanah is the ram Adonai provided there.

Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the Tree of Life Version.

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Even more significantly, Isaacôs binding and the ram offered in his place point to our Messiah, who gave His life as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sin. Hence, Messiah will return with the sound of the shofar at the Second Coming, fulfilling the prophetic meaning of Rosh Hashanah (our forthcoming book on the biblical holidays has a more detailed explanation). Psalm 141:1 declares, ñAdonai, I call to Youðcome quickly to me!ò In Hebrew, this verse adds up to 1116, as does ñAnd you will see the glory of the Lordò (Ex 16:7). May we cry out to the Lord, ñCome soon!ò so that we might see His glory in this New Year of 5781. (Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, believed to be Mount Moriah)

THOUGHTS for REFLECTION Take some time this week to prayerfully consider and discuss with friends:

§ As Rabbi stated, Christians typically omit corporate/communal repentance.Christians immersed in American culture can find this sort of repentanceexponentially challenging (due to its emphasis on the individual). How do you feelabout repenting for the sins of others? How do you feel about being connected toothers in this way? How do you work through the tension of justice and mercy,personal responsibility and love of neighbor?

§ The Feasts of the Lord are a treasure for all of God’s people. We find ourselves onthe brink of a spiritual New Year—Rosh Hashanah. Even more so than at the civilNew Year, this week is an opportune time to reflect on how God has been ourfaithful and gracious provider over the last weeks and months (a la Genesis 22). It’salso the ideal moment to look forward with great longing and anticipation for thereturn of our Messiah Yeshua!

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NEXT WEEK’S READINGS: Rosh Hashana 2020 / 5781 הנשה שאר

TORAH Sunday / Genesis 21:1-7

Monday / Genesis 21:8-16

Tuesday / Genesis 21:17-26

Wednesday / Genesis 21:27-34

Thursday / Genesis 22:1-7

Friday / Genesis 22:8-14

Saturday / Genesis 22:15-24

Prophetic Reading (Haftarah): Jeremiah 31:1-19 & 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10

New Covenant Reading: Matthew 24:29-36 & Luke 1:39-55

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