Rise Up!
The worst form of decline is when one imagines that his or her decline is actually an improvement and a form of ascent. LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH
Rising or Declining?
In this week’s second parsha of Vayeilech, G-d tells Moses that in the future, after his passing, “the people will rise up and follow the gods of the people of the land into which they are coming. They will forsake Me and violate My covenant which I made with them.”
The question has been asked, why does the Torah preface the prediction about their rebellion with the words, “they shall rise up?” These words imply that they will be rising to a higher level! It should have said, “The people will descend.”
Indeed, we find this term used later with regard to Samson’s going to the city of Timna, which was situated on a mountain. Yet the Torah sescribes his going to that city with the words, “he descended to Timna,” because Samson’s going to Timna was the beginning of his moral decline. Yet, here when the Torah speaks of the Jews’ future LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH degradation it employs the term that suggests ascent and growth!
Confusing Declining for Growth
There are several approaches that can be used to explain the anomalous use of the words “rise up” as a preface to their decline:
First, it has been suggested that it reflects the extent to which the people will degenerate. The worst form of decline is when one imagines that his or her decline is actually an improvement and a form of ascent.
Throughout Jewish history there were groups and individuals who sought to follow other cultures and other gods. In the process they drifted away from pure Jewish values. Notwithstanding the fact that they were distancing themselves from G-d, their people and from basic decency, in their warped way of thinking they were helping to improve on Jewish values or that Judaism actually demanded their corrupt behavior.
The worst form of decline is when it is misconstrued as growth and a virtue; not a vice.
Thus when the Torah says that they will rise up it describes not the reality—for the reality is that it is the LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH greatest fall—rather it describes their mindset—that they will think that their errant ways as a step up rather than a precipitous and steep decline into the abyss.
Falling so Low from from so High
A second approach: The prefacing of the words “rise up” before describing their future rebellious worshipping of other gods is to underscore that the worst form of decline is when it is a fall from a high perch. For the measure of one’s decline is commensurate with their previous growth and high position. The tragedy of Jewish rebellion is that we have risen so high and despite that—or in some cases, because of the state of complacency that sets in when one reaches the pinnacle—we have fallen so low.
The lesson to be derived from this is that when we see someone falling, we should recognize that they come from a high place. Our challenge is to help that person regain their footing and return to their original high position minus the arrogance that it might have engendered.
Exponential Growth from the Abyss
A third and more positive explanation is that ultimately when these fallen souls finally recognize the error of their LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH ways and return to G-d—as was predicted in this week’s parsha as well—their sins are then transformed into Mitzvot. This is in line with the Talmudic statement that when one’s motivation to return to G-d is out of love, his or her sins are converted into Mitzvot. Every sin becomes an asset. It would be like being able to hand in our debts and not only have the debts cancelled, but in addition, pick up a dollar for every dollar we owe.
Thus the Torah states that this great degradation will ultimately become the greatest catalyst for incredible growth. The Jewish people will realize the error of their ways and their return to G-d will be so passionate that their newly acquired love and devotion to G-d will make these returnees even occupy a higher place than those who were always righteous; in consonance with the Talmudic dictum: “The place where penitents stand, even a perfectly righteous person cannot stand.”
A New View of Negative Developments
With this last approach we can understand that there is a positive way to view all of the negative developments in the Jewish community in the last two centuries in terms of Jewish recalcitrance. And as we have already seen the LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH incredible number of Jews who have realized how far they have strayed and have returned to Judaism with such passion that they put their more sophisticated coreligionists and even forebears to shame.
As we stand before the New Year and focus on Teshuvahrepentance or return, we should not despair when we make an honest accounting of our past misdeeds and failures. On the contrary, we should allow our decline to provoke us to return to G-d with so much intensity that our past negativity will be transformed into Mitzvot.
This indeed is what will occur in the Messianic Age on a universal scale. Not only will evil cease to exert its power over good; not only will evil cease to exist; its energy will be totally transformed into positive energy.
Whatever Moshiach will do begins with us. We are the forces of goodness that will set into motion the dynamic process that will ultimately enable all of us to “rise up” and drive out all of the other gods from our land. With our return to G-d we become the forces of goodness that will tip the scales in our favor and help us prevail in our judgment this Rosh Hashanah, and will usher in a good and sweet new year; a year of true peace and Redemption for all of Israel and the entire world.
LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS
NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH
LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS
NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Nitzavim by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
