Nitzavim

 Parsha: Nitzavim
Deut. 30:11-14 “ For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away.   It is not in heaven...  Nor is it beyond the sea... Rather,[this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it.”

In this parsha, following one’s heart is a complicated process. First, the Torah warns against blessing ourselves in our heart and following our heart’s desires, lest we bring curses upon ourselves (29:18). Then we read that God will circumcise our heart and the heart of our children so that we love God fully for the sake of life. (30:6) Next we are told that the commandments are in our mouths and hearts (30:14). Finally, we are warned again that if our heart deviates and we do not listen, we will perish. (30:17). So which is it – when we look into our hearts, will we see devious desires that lead us astray, or wholesome instructions that give life? And how can we tell whether our heart’s inner promptings move us toward death or toward life?

The coming Days of Awe give us the opportunity to look deeply into our hearts. First we must allow our hearts to be circumcised – to let the outer covering of ego peel away. Then we must stay close to home – not chasing after illusions in the heavens or beyond the sea. We cultivate a sense of being open, vulnerable, yet grounded in reality right here, right now. Then we will find that we are able to speak words  - to ourselves, to others – that clarify and illuminate – that bring more life.

May this New Year give us the energy and desire to look deeply into our own hearts, discerning clearly that which we should peel away, and that which we should speak as our life-nurturing truth.
 L shana tovah.

Ki Teitzei
Deuteronomy 24:19 "When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to take it; it shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord, your God, will bless you in all that you do.”

This mitzva of leaving the gleanings for others is something we can only do accidentally – when we forget.  With such human shortcomings such as forgetfulness, the text suggests that the key is to accept them and turn those mistakes to benefit others.   Paradoxically, it is when we accept our flaws and allow others to benefit from them that we receive unexpected blessings.

Re'eh

Parsha Re'eh: Deuteronomy 13:1
“Everything I command you that you shall be careful to do it. You shall neither add to it, nor subtract from it.”

This passage gives clear instruction for living fully, exuberantly, and mindfully.  When performing an action, don’t add to it, meaning don’t get lost in the busy thoughts and stories that the mind spins.  Also, don’t subtract from it, meaning don’t ignore the sensory aspects inherent in each action. For instance, when eating a meal, don’t get lost in thoughts such as “this isn’t as good as the way my friend makes it” or  “this is great, I wish I could have this for dinner every night” or “I don’t have time to enjoy this because I should be cleaning up the mess in the kitchen”. Similarly, don’t subtract from a meal by failing to notice the sensations of chewing, tasting, swallowing.

By neither adding nor subtracting, but doing each action simply and with full awareness, we bring ourselves closer to re’eh  - to seeing and beholding the blessings before us each moment and every day.