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Parshat Nitzavim:
Choosing Life Beyond Measure
Torah's Spiritual Insights on Life Death and Divine Connection

In the double Torah portion of "Nitzavim-Vayelech," right in the middle, there's an important message from the Torah.

It says, "I have set before you life and death, and you should choose life."

At first glance, this sentence might seem very obvious. It's saying that if we choose between life and death, we would choose life! Everyone naturally prefers life over death. But the Torah is hinting at something more profound.

The true essence of a person might consider choosing death. Many spiritual thinkers worldwide, people focused on matters of the spirit, suggest that it might be better for a person to leave this world and connect with the divine. There's a somewhat unhealthy tendency sometimes to see death as a mystical way to become entirely spiritual, and some people might be willing to pay the price of leaving their physical bodies – a kind of spiritual death.

But the Torah tells us something different. It says, "I have set before you life and death." While there might be thoughts, perhaps even noble ones, that suggest choosing death, the Torah's innovation is that we should encounter the divine through life. "And you should choose life." Why? Because through this choice, you will live, and your descendants will live on the Earth. It means you meet the Creator by living the reality of this world.

Another fundamental idea from these words is that a person can choose freely. You can choose between good and evil, between life and death. There's no external force apart from yourself that determines the path you take. This freedom of choice brings responsibility. If I choose, I can mess things up. But I can also build. This gives human life a moral significance, a person's desired meaning from this free choice when choosing life.

פרשות נוספות

Divine Guidance & Human Voices: Weaving the Tapestry of Law

In Parshat Pinhas, the daughters of Zelophehad prompt a pivotal change in Jewish inheritance laws, leading to a new directive that allows daughters to inherit when there are no sons. This narrative illustrates the dynamic interaction between divine guidance and the people's initiative. Moshe, initially unsure, receives instructions from HaShem only after the daughters raise their concern. This story, along with similar cases, underscores the importance of the people's role in the evolution of Jewish law and Divine revelation through communal inquiry and response.

Admiration & Jealousy: The Duality of Balaam's Prophecy

In Parshat Balak, Balaam, a renowned prophet among nations, embodies the complex mix of admiration and jealousy towards Israel. Though intending to curse Israel, he ultimately blesses them, illustrating Divine inspiration and prophecy's influence. This paradoxical attitude reflects broader themes of anti-Semitism and the favored child's psychoanalytic response. The Torah emphasizes hope, as prophecy in the synagogue signifies potential Divine influence on all humanity, supported by the Midrash Tanna D'bei Eliyahu's assertion of the Holy Spirit's universal accessibility.

Mortality EterniFrom Mortality to Eternity: The Red Cow’s Path to Purificationty Purification

In Parshat Hukat, the red cow (para aduma) ritual symbolizes purification from the impurity of death, rooted in the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. The ritual involves mixing ashes with living water, representing the body and soul, illustrating life's restoration through resurrection. This process, despite its symbolic clarity, underscores a Divine mystery — the transition between life and death remains beyond human comprehension. The Midrash highlights the red cow's secret, emphasizing the profound and unfathomable nature of resurrection and Divine Will

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