Torah Portion: Nitzavim-Vayelech Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

“You are standing all of you before the Lord your G-d …”. (Deuteronomy 29.9)

In our society we are often given to contrast ourselves favorably with those societies in which particular castes, classes or groups of people are discriminated against or classified as inferior.

The Torah itself describes a model, even archetypal moment of our religious existence, namely, the second making of the covenant or renewal of the covenant between G-d and the people of Israel. The first making of the covenant was at Sinai; this renewal of the covenant was mediated, in his last days, by Moses our teacher. It is a model for any of those important times -- the High Holidays, Shavuot, a bar or bat mitzvah, the brit milah (circumcision covenant), even the moments when the congregation recites the Shema together -- in which we are in essence ourselves renewing our covenant with G-d.

Reform Jews read this particular portion of the Torah also on the morning of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement: “You are standing this day, all of you, before the Lord Your G-d -- your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, magistrates, every person of Israel, your children, your wives, your strangers within your camp, from the wood chopper to the water drawer to enter into the covenant of the Lord Your G-d which the Lord Your G-d is concluding with you this day.” (Deut. 29.9-11.)

The portion could have begun simply as follows: “You are standing all of you before your Lord Your G-d to bring you into the covenant of the Lord Your G-d which G-d is concluding with you today.” Instead, the text adds a list of various categories of people. We have here, in fact, a veritable catalog of categories into which, as open-minded as we consider ourselves to be, we still are given to dividing persons even to this day: leaders/followers; higher status/lower status; elders/juniors; adults/children; men/women; bosses/workers; Israelites/non Israelites. (Some, in Orthodox tradition, translate this latter category as “converts” as opposed to “born Israelites.”)

These divisions or categories, in the history of humankind, have been used to define and maintain status, opportunity and power, and, it follows, wealth. These have also been categories of exclusion vs. inclusion, the advantages of the “insider over the outsider.” Our text dissolves the exclusivity by including all, everyone. And this was done, mind you, at the making and remaking of the central relationship between G-d and the people of Israel, the covenant.

As we have noted, in many cultures it made a great deal of difference for the basic conditions of one’s life into which category someone was placed. Today we pride ourselves that, in our time and place, caste and many classes of these categories make no difference any more in terms of advantage, opportunity, material well-being or personal fulfillment. But in fact, are we entirely free in our time from such divisions?

While great advances have been made in terms of science and technology in our “advanced and wealthy” country, do the children of the “hewers of wood” and “drawers of water” in fact get the same medical care as the children of the “officials and officers,” or, to use our language, congresspersons and presidents? Are the same kinds of educational opportunities equally available to all no matter what status we occupy? Do all get equal opportunity, equal inclusion and opportunities for advanced education at a time when this is determined by the “economies” of the market?

In our Jewish community, we also have to ask ourselves honestly to what degree wealth and other kinds of external status determine leadership roles, influence, policy decision-making. Even in synagogues, is preferential or deferential treatment given?. While considerable advances have been made in religious participation for women and while in the so-called “liberal” section of religious Jewry there are women rabbis and synagogue presidents, other sectors of religious Jewry are still struggling with issues resulting from gender division among our own people. Our text, remember, which we read prior to the High Holidays, reveals remarkable emphasis on inclusiveness as far as standing before G-d in the covenant relationship. Our text dissolves categories that are often externally imposed among us today.

This point is already made in the Chasidic text called the “Yalkut Shimoni,” which states that even though there must be designated leaders, such as officers and magistrates, all are, in fact, equal before G-d. And further Chasidic comment adds: “Among you (people)” there may be categories and divisions of people that you impose, but in the presence of the Creator all are the same. Compared with the greatness of the Creator for whom there are no such boundaries or divisions, there is no ‘lesser’ or ‘greater’ among human beings.” This is something especially to remember as we stand together before the Almighty on the High Holidays to renew our eternal covenant.

Rabbi Herbert Bronstein is senior scholar/rabbi emeritus of North Shore Congregation Israel (Reform) in Glencoe.