We stand in sectoral and national unity
Parsha and its implementation - Nitzavim 5779 - Rosh Hashana 5780 Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald
At the opening of Parashat Nitzavim, Moshe Rabbeinu congregates the entire nation and brings them into a unity status and a covenant:
אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ טַפְּכֶ֣ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וְגֵ֣רְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֑יךָ מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ׃ לְעָבְרְךָ֗ בִּבְרִ֛ית ה' אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּבְאָלָת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר֙ ה' אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כֹּרֵ֥ת עִמְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
"You stand this day, all of you, before Hashem your G-d—your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawer—to enter into the covenant of Hashem your G-d, which Hashem your G-d is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions" (Devarim 29:9-11).
This status was essentially similar to the status of the previous covenant on Mount Sinai that was based on unity - "in one heart as one person": “All of the Israelites were assembled there in one place in anticipation of the renewal of the covenant just as they had all been assembled on the occasion of the first covenant at Mount Sinai”. (Rabbeinu Bahya ibid). The gathering took place at a special time - on the day of Moshe Rabbeinu's death: "This teaches that Moses assembled them in the presence of the Omnipresent on the day of his death, in order to initiate them into a covenant with Him". (Rashi ibid).
The script did not specify whether there were difficulties in organizing this gathering. And if there were any separatist phenomena that one tribe didn't want to be in the same place with another tribe or with people that had different opinions, or only on the condition that one president be placed before the other, etc. (phenomena that unfortunately we know today - confiscation of conferences on the grounds that "shared participation" around one table might be interpreted as ‘legitimizing’ a contrary’s opinion).
The assembly of Parashat Nitzavim carried a message of "unity": "You stand this day... When? When you all become one group, as stated:
" וְאַתֶּם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם חַיִּ֥ים כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃
“While you, who held fast to Hashem your G-d, are all alive today". (Devarim 4: 4). According to universal custom, if one takes a group of reeds, will he be able to break them at one stroke! But if he takes them one by one, even an infant can break them. (Midrash Tanchuma Buber Nitzavim 4).
The unification of the entire nation has been and still is, the source of its national strength and resilience. This unity gives the strength to stay firm against anyone plotting to harm the people of Israel.
Our Parasha is usually read in close proximity to Rosh Hashana.
One of the Baalei Hatosafot found a hint for it: "You stand this day", אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ with the “hey”-this, wanting to say: because on the known "day", it is Rosh Hashana, you stand at the Day of Judgment, "before Hashem your G-d " (Yitzhak Ben-Yehuda Halevi Baalei Hatosafot Nitzavim, as well as in the "Likutei Torah).
If on “this” Rosh hashana Day we are united - 'you all' we will all stand and be judged favorably. Rabbi Kook זצ"ל, explained how we must prepare for this unity on the eve of Rosh Hashanah:
"But we seem to be rushing to unite ourselves all in one heart to make everyone attached to the rest of Hashem’s nation, because each one by himself needs great merits, even a single person, in the Aseret Yemei Teshuva (ten days of repentance) is readily accepted, but we wish to be written immediately in the Book of Life, and so for this, it should be the merit of many. Therefore, the Sages taught that this is the successful way, to unite with the rest and be ready for the great and Holy Day of Judgment, the merit of many will already have the weight to help us, etc.
And so, the person will not hold himself for the sake of his winnings as rich as to say that one should not participate with the nation, because everyone is poor against the magnitude of the charges. (Brachot 30).
And in particular, he is obligated in Rosh Hashana, and more obligated on the night of Rosh Hashana, which is a prelude to the judgment that comes on the day, and G-d has given us a night to advance ourselves in that perfection of unity.
Each one wishes his friend “Shana Tova” “Ktiva VeChatima Tova”. In our prayers everything is intended in plural to make a good mark, as everything is called for the entire nation, and found to be at peace, and therefore to be inscribed in the Book of Life" (“Midvar Shor” Sermon 9).
On Rosh Hashanah we are crowning G-d and therefore we must unite as one man. Unity in Judaism is a 'value' whose importance stands on its own. However, unity also has a practical dimension. Like the group of reeds; each bought in itself is fragile but united together, strengthens it and gives it power.
At the time of writing, it is still unclear whether there is a feasibility for a broad national unity government. On the one hand, it has been proven for the umpteenth time that when religious Zionism comes out united in the election campaign, and when under the same political roof, all its streams and sub-streams are there, it wins and gains a double-digit number of seats. And every time it divides itself, it loses and shrinks.
The price of the lack of unity is known. We missed an opportunity to improve the odds of deciding and preventing elections for the third time, and now there is a higher chance, more than ever, that we will be squeezed into an angle and possibly even sitting in the opposition.
It is best for all of us to do some introspection, what have we not done enough, in sake of the unity and where have we erred, and better one hour earlier!