Fateful elections in Elul
Parsha and its Implementation – Re’eh - Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - 5779
Our Parasha opens with blessings and curses:
רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃ אֶֽת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְע֗וּ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ ה' אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃ וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה אִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ ה' אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לָלֶ֗כֶת אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃
"See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of Hashem your G-d that I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of Hashem your G-d, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not experienced." (Dvarim 11: 26-28(.
However, these are different from what is mentioned in Parashat Bechukotai and are to be mentioned in Parashat Ki Tavoh because they are to be told at the blessings and curses for all Israel on Mount Greezim and Mount Ebal upon entering Israel (Rashi and Sages).
The blessings and curses pose the choice challenge to the people of Israel:
הנה נתבאר בפסוק זה שהרשות והבחירה בידו של אדם, רצה להדריך עצמו בדרך ישרה או להתיצב על דרך לא טוב, הכל מסור ברצונו והכל תלוי בבחירתו, ומזה אמר הכתוב (שם ה) מי יתן והיה לבבם זה להם ליראה אותי, למד שאין הקב"ה גוזר על האדם להיות צדיק או רשע עד שיעשה טובה או רעה אלא הכל מסור בידו, )רבנו בחיי שם(
"Our verse here makes plain that the right to choose has been given to man. If he wants to conduct himself in a manner acceptable to G’d he is free to do so; if he chooses to contravene G’d’s commandments he cannot be coerced by G’d. We have already referred to this in connection with Deut. 5,26: “who would give, etc.” We pointed out there that If G’d had not granted freedom of choice, He would not have to “wish” for the people to remain on a spiritual high but could legislate it. The whole premise of this freedom of choice is understood easily by the fact that G’d bothers again and again to command us what to do and what not to do. If we were not free to chart our own course, it would not make sense for G’d to have to give us all these commandments. All He would have to do is to program us according to His wishes". (Rabbeinu Bahya Devarim 11:26).
Free choice is one of the foundations and roots of Torah and faith:
וזה עקר גדול ועצום והוא יסוד האמונה. ומפני זה נזכר העיקר הגדול הזה בפתיחת התורה ובחתימתה
“Seeing the principle of man’s freedom to choose is so fundamental, the Torah mentions it already at the beginning” (Ibid).
The power of free choice also derives one's responsibility for one's actions. It is also the foundation of Tshuvah:
אֵין הַבּוֹרֵא גּוֹזֵר עַל הָאָדָם לִהְיוֹת טוֹב וְלֹא לִהְיוֹת רַע. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁכֵּן הוּא נִמְצָא זֶה הַחוֹטֵא הוּא הִפְסִיד אֶת עַצְמוֹ. וּלְפִיכָךְ רָאוּי לוֹ לִבְכּוֹת וּלְקוֹנֵן עַל חֲטָאָיו וְעַל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה לְנַפְשׁוֹ וּגְמָלָהּ רָעָה. הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב אַחֲרָיו (איכה ג לט) "מַה יִּתְאוֹנֵן אָדָם חָי" וְגוֹ'. וְחָזַר וְאָמַר הוֹאִיל וּרְשׁוּתֵנוּ בְּיָדֵינוּ וּמִדַּעְתֵּנוּ עָשִׂינוּ כָּל הָרָעוֹת רָאוּי לָנוּ לַחֲזֹר בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְלַעֲזֹב רִשְׁעֵנוּ שֶׁהָרְשׁוּת עַתָּה בְּיָדֵינוּ. הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב אַחֲרָיו (איכה ג מ) "נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה" וְגוֹ':
It is as if saying, the Creator decrees not that man should be either good or bad. Now, this being so, the consequence hereof is that the sinner alone brought harm upon himself. It is, therefore, meet that he should lament and shed tears because he sinned, and because of what he did to his soul and rewarded it with evil. Even this is the meaning of the succeeding Verse: "Wherefore doth a living man complain, or a strong man? Because of his sins" (Eicha 3:39) Again, he continues, in the succeeding Verse seeing that it all is in our power, and we did all the evil of our own free will and accord, it is, indeed meet for us to turn in repentance and abandon our wickedness, for our free will is in our hands now as well as at the time we committed the sins saying: "Let us search and try our ways, and return to the Lord" (Eicha 3:40). (Rambam Mishne Torah 5).
In his introduction to the Parasha, Rabbeinu Bahya explains that laziness is one of the most influential factors in man's choices:
מֵ֭חֹרֶף עָצֵ֣ל לֹא־יַחֲרֹ֑שׁ ישאל [וְשָׁאַ֖ל] בַּקָּצִ֣יר וָאָֽיִן׃ (משלי כ, ד).
"In winter the lazy man does not plow; At harvesttime he seeks, and finds nothing. (Proverbs 20:4)
“Solomon has made it a point in the Book of Proverbs to explain the value of all the good character traits in order that we learn how to avoid the negative virtues. One of the positive virtues is זריזות, diligence, and eagerness to carry out one’s duties. Laziness, by contrast, is a negative virtue, one to be avoided. In fact, laziness is at the root of many of the problems one experiences in one’s life, etc.
By acquiring and nurturing the attribute of זריזות, diligence, man can assure for himself eternal life, whereas by indulging his laziness he is sure to forfeit such eternal life. The former characteristic prompts him to fulfill G’d’s commandments whereas the latter keeps him from doing so. After all, man has been given free choice and our salvation or otherwise lies in our own hands.
Man’s freedom of choice is part of G’d’s expressed desire, i.e. this is part of how He decreed in His own free will that the universe should function. As a result of this system man is judged in accordance with his deeds. If he chooses the right way he will be rewarded, if not he will be punished." (Rabbeinu Bahya Devarim 11:26)
It can be said in today's terms that laziness also includes avoidance out of indifference, apathy and not consideration of the dangers the future might bring along. When the day-to-day preoccupations and the urgent things prevent us from looking at the importance of things. To procrastinate and not to choose is also a choice. To the opposite side.
Usually the failed elections lead to bad results, if the voter does not deny and he regrets his choice, but it is already late and what is done is done.
There are daily choices in which one is required to choose daily issues here or there, but there are fateful choices in which one is required to make fundamental choices that will affect one's life from here on, between blessings and curses. Sometimes this choice can affect others, even the whole.
For those who know the exact meaning of the scriptural language, you will find that at first Moshe addresses the individual " רְאֵ֗ה See" (Ibn Ezra there) and right after, לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם in the plural. The reason Moses commences with the singular ראה, followed by the plural form לפניכם is that he addresses everybody, both the individual and the community " (Rabbeinu Bahya, ibid).
At Mount Greezim and Mount Ebal, the people are required to make a fateful choice that will affect their future in Israel and from there onwards they become partners for each other’s destiny: "See" as speaking to the individual, “before you” as speaking to many.
לפי שהעולם נידון אחר רובו והיחיד נידון אחר רובו עשה מצוה אחת אשריו שהכריע את עצמו ואת כל העולם לכף זכות עבר עבירה אחת אוי לו שהכריע את עצמו ואת כל העולם לכף חובה שנאמר וחוטא אחד כו' בשביל חטא יחידי שעשה זה אבד ממנו ומכל העולם טובה הרבה
“Since the world is judged by its majority, i.e., depending on whether people have performed a majority of mitzvot or a majority of sins, and an individual is likewise judged by his majority, each person must consider that if he performs one mitzva he is praiseworthy, as he tilts the balance of himself and the entire world to the scale of merit. Conversely, if he transgresses one prohibition, woe to him, as he tilts the balance for himself and the entire world to the scale of liability, as it is stated: “But one sin destroys much good,” i.e., due to one sin that this individual commits, he squanders much goodness from himself and from the entire world” (Kiddushin 40b).
This is why he said to every individual “see”- so he would bear in mind that all his actions would come back “before you” to all of you, and mentioned this matter in this Parasha when it speaks about Mount Greezim and Mount Ebal because all of Israel became responsible for one another.
"Look, I place before you today. “See” is singular. “Before you” is plural. This is what our Sages teach us: A person must always view things as if the entire world is half righteous and half wicked. If he performs a single Mitzvah, he tips himself and the entire world to the side of merit. Therefore, Moshe spoke to every individual, “See” that he should see in his thought that every single action affects all of them”. (Kli Yakar on Dvarim 11:26)
It is not just the influence of the individual on the public’s fate, but on a different choice, of the whole, in which everyone chooses together their own path. From then on, personal choices also affect everybody, and dealing with repentance in Elul and the days of repentance does not only affect the individual's personal life but also his impact on the general life.
Elections will be held in the coming month. There seems to be no connection between collective political elections and Elul's elections and those related to our Parasha. But in fact, there is.
These are fateful choices that will have a critical impact on many levels of the future of our lives in Israel. Starting with national priorities, state security and foreign relations, and balancing the factors affecting the order of life in the country, which will also have an impact on the Jewish identity of the state in general and in our spiritual world in particular. Every voice determines and influences! The fate of the whole depends on the choices every individual makes and his willingness to step out of the indifference zone and to fulfill his civic duty.
This fateful election also has another kind of responsibility. For small parties who have no chance of passing the blockage rate and if they do not get back on time, the votes wasted may outweigh the fate of the election. And if that does happen, the protests and the anger and the remorse will not be useful then, as this will be difficult to take back.