Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech | Deuteronomy 29:9–31:30
We have spent the month of Elul engaged in cheshbon hanefesh—an accounting of the soul—reflecting, releasing, repairing, and returning.
And now, as the final days of 5786 draw closer, this week’s double Torah portion gives us two powerful images for where we are on the journey.
Nitzavim means standing.
Vayeilech means and he went.
Before we can move forward into the year ahead, we need to know where we are. We need to pause long enough to recognize what has changed, what we have learned, what we need to release, and what we want to carry with us.
Elul has given us that sacred pause. But we are not meant to stand still forever. At some point, reflection must become intention, intention must become action, and we must take the next step.
Standing Together
Nitzavim begins: “You stand this day, all of you, before Adonai your God…”
We do not stand at this gateway alone.
Nitzavim reminds us that although t’shuvah is deeply personal, we do the work of returning within the context of community. Our choices affect one another. Our growth strengthens one another. Together, we help shape the kind of world we hope to enter in the year ahead.
T’shuvah is a process of returning: returning to our values, our relationships, our sacred purpose, and ultimately to the truest version of ourselves.
Nitzavim describes that return and offers another powerful invitation:
“Love God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
A little later, Moses places an extraordinary choice before the Israelites:
“I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life…”
We make choices every day about what we will nurture, how we will respond to the people around us, where we will focus our attention, and what kind of presence we will bring into the world.
Choosing life does not mean pretending that life is easy. It means choosing connection in a world where people can become isolated.
Choosing hope even when we know heartbreak.
Choosing to repair what we can.
Choosing to return when we have wandered away from what matters.
And choosing, again and again, to take the next step.
Vayeilech: Moving Forward
Moses knows that his own journey with the Israelites is coming to an end. He will not cross the Jordan with them. The future is uncertain.
And Moses offers words meant to strengthen the people as they prepare to move forward:
“Do not fear, and do not be dismayed. God will be with you.”
None of us can predict the future; we don’t know what the coming year will hold. This past year, 5786, has been excruciatingly difficult for me—perhaps the most challenging year I’ve ever experienced. And I know I’m not the only one dealing with life-shattering changes. I’m glad to say goodbye to this year, and I’m praying that the year ahead will be a better one for us all.
We enter every new year carrying hopes and dreams, experiences we never expected to have, losses we never wanted to endure, and questions we cannot yet answer.
We cannot know exactly where the path will take us.
But we can carry our values with us, show up for one another, build community, keep searching for sparks of hope, and remember that we do not make the journey alone.
Here is my prayer for Parashat Vayeilech.
You Are Not Alone
During the darkest days of your life,
may you tap into the spark of hope,
nestled deep in your heart,
and remember that
it’s okay to be
perfectly imperfect
and that you are enough
just the way you are.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.
Keep believing.
Keep searching.
Keep hoping.
You are NOT alone.
Selichot: Turning and Returning
This Saturday night, many Jewish communities will gather for Selichot, prayers of forgiveness and spiritual preparation that help usher us toward the Days of Awe.
Selichot invites us to look honestly at the year behind us: to recognize where we have missed the mark, where repair is needed, what we need to release, and how we hope to grow.
After reflecting on our journey, releasing what no longer serves us, and repairing what we can, we arrive at the final stage: return.
T’shuvah is the art and practice of turning with intention and awareness. It asks us to recognize that we are who we are because of what we have experienced, the people we have encountered, the losses we have grieved, the blessings we have received, and the ways we have grown.
T’shuvah is not a return to a familiar place. It is a return to who we are meant to be but have not yet become.
T’shuvah asks us to return to our deepest values, to practices that nourish our souls, and to relationships that inspire us to live our sacred purpose.
Elul Exploration: Return
As you spend time with this final week of Elul, I invite you to reflect on where this journey has brought you—and where you hope to go from here.
To what are you returning, and who do you want to become?
In what ways has your perspective shifted during the t’shuvah process?
How do you define t’shuvah? In what ways has your Elul journey inspired you?
What core values guide your life? Which ones do you need to return to?
And one final question:
As you prepare to enter 5787, what does choosing life ask of you?
Remembering as We Move Forward
As we prepare for the New Year, we are also approaching the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
Next Friday, September 11, will carry both the weight of remembrance and the anticipation of Rosh Hashanah, which begins that evening.
Twenty-five years have passed, and yet the images and emotions of that day remain deeply embedded in our collective memory.
For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I created this Day of Remembrance prayer. As we approach the 25th anniversary, I am sharing it again.
Day of Remembrance
Source of All—
Help us remember
the lives lost
the families severed
the lessons learned
Help us honor
the tears shed
the grief shared
the courage shown
Help us heal
our broken hearts
our divided country
our troubled world
As we sanctify this day of Remembrance
may the legacy of love that lives on
shape, strengthen and sustain us
and illuminate a path to peace.
Closing Blessing
May we have the courage and clarity
to see where we stand,
and the wisdom
to return to what matters most.
May we choose life,
choose love,
choose connection,
and choose hope.
May we remember those
whose lives have shaped our own
and be comforted by knowing
that wherever the path leads,
we do not walk it alone.
May we walk into the year ahead
with open hearts,
strengthened by community,
and may we move forward together
toward a new year filled with
healing, blessing, and peace.
Enjoyed this post? Sign up to receive Joanne’s blog directly in your inbox.