Parshas Nitzavim – The Chesed in Teshuvah
The passuk in this week’s Parsha says “lo bashomayim hee…v’lo mayeiver la’yam hee…ki karov eilecha hadavar meod, bficha ubilvavcha lasoso”. The Ramban explains that the subject of the passuk is teshuvah and the Torah is telling us that we don’t need long expeditions into space or voyages across the ocean to accomplish it but to the contrary its right in our laps waiting for us to do.
One of the great chasadim that Hashem does for mankind is that He makes the core essentials of life readily available and easy to obtain for no or very little money. Luxuries on the other hand are harder to come by and cost a lot. Air followed by water and then food is of abundance and in most cases free, whereas jewels and the like are rare and expensive.
Rav Meir Michel Rabinowitz explains that the same is true in the spiritual world in that Hashem does mankind a chesed and makes the spiritual essentials of life readily available and easy to obtain. This, says Rabbi Rabinowitz, is what the passuk is alluding to when it says “ki karov”. The opportunities to achieve the spiritual essential of teshuvah is everywhere we turn.
Rav Itzele Peteberger highlights another element of chesed that Hashem does in the process of our teshuvah and brings it out with a mashal. A man disrespected the Rav of the community and after a few days when his ego and anger subside, he begins to feel remorseful over what he did and wishes to apologize to the Rav. However, because of the embarrassment he just can’t get himself to start the conversation with the Rav. The Rav figures that that may be the case so in a beautiful gesture of love and compassion the Rav sends him a message and breaks the ice.
The same is true, says Rav Itzele, with us and Hashem. Hashem understands that we may be embarrassed to apologize and therefore tells us over and over how much he wants us to return. We say in Mussaf of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur “vaad yom moso tichakeh lo – that until the last moment of a person’s life Hashem is eagerly awaiting his return”. We must recognize and be moved by how much Hashem wants us to be close to Him and be motivated to change.
WAKE UP!!
Have a wonderful Shabbos
Rabbi Anton
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