Monday Night Torah

Event Date: 

Sunday, September 5, 2021 - 6:00pm
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Event Type: 

Event Location: 

Online via Zoom

Event Description: 

Torah Study with Phil Lazzar.

Zoom link.

Note: MNT will be on Sunday this week, September 5, 2021, because Erev Rosh HaShanah is on Monday night.

 
6:00pm - 7:00pm
 
Nitzavim
 
“You stand this day, all of you, before the L-RD your G’d…” (Devarim 29:9) (Translation from JPS, 1985)
 
Rashi says that “This teaches that Moses assembled them (the Jewish people) in the presence of the Omnipresent (G’d) on the day of his (Moses’s) death, in order to initiate them (the Jewish people) into a covenant (an agreement with mutual promises) with Him (G’d).
 
A covenant is a contract. Each side promises to do something. The Or HaChaim points out that this covenant could have been mentioned earlier in the Torah. So, what does it teach us that it is mentioned here?
 
He answers that this covenant adds something to what we are promising to do. What is added? The Or HaChaim says that what is added is that not only are each of us responsible for what we individually do but now we are agreeing that each of us is now responsible for what all the rest of us do.
 
He goes on to say that each of us has to see to it that none of us stumble and commit sins. One way to look at this is that we are no longer a group of individuals but now we are one entity, united.
 
This idea is called “areivut” which means “guarantor”. The idea also includes that we each cover for each other. In other words, when any of us needs something, we help them out. We’re each like “co-signers” for each other.
 
What does this mean? How does it look? How do we apply it? These are questions for our class.
 
Please note that this week, class will be Sunday instead of Monday since Monday night is Erev Rosh HaShanah.