Ever since the yearly cycle of Torah readings was standardised towards the end of the Second Temple era, and the fixed calendar as calculated by Hillel II (Hillel ben Yehudah, Nasi or head of the Sanhedrin) was adopted in 4119 (359 C.E.), Parashat Nitzavim has invariably been read on the final Shabbat of the year (usually combined with Parashat Vayeilech as a double parashah, this year it is read alone).
Shabbat Parashat Nitzavim, in addition to being the final Shabbat of the year, marks two other endings as well:
First, this Parashah concludes Moshe’s final farewell discourse to the Children of Israel.
The bulk of the Book of Deuteronomy is the transcripts of Moshe’s farewell discourses to the nation that he loved and had nurtured for forty years.
The first is recorded in Deuteronomy 1:6-4:10, the second in 5:1-26:19, the third began last Shabbat in Parashat Ki Tavo (27:1), and concludes this week with the final words of Parashat Nitzavim:
“I call heaven and earth today to testify for you: Life and death I have placed before you, the blessing and the curse. So choose life so that you shall live - you and your seed! To love Hashem your G-d, to listen to His voice, and to cleave to Him, because He is your life and the length of your days; to dwell on the Land which Hashem swore to your fathers - to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob - to give them” (30:19-20).
With these words, Moshe concludes his mission. He leaves us with the freedom to choose blessing, life, and the Land of Israel - or to choose curse, death, and exile. Moshe’s final exhortation to us is to choose blessing, life, and the Land of Israel out of our own free will.
The other ending that this Shabbat marks is the final consolation after the Three Weeks of mourning. The Haftarot (the prophetic readings which follow the Torah-readings) generally complement the parashah, but the final ten weeks of the year follow a different paradigm.
For the three Shabbatot of the Three Weeks, the Haftarot were theתְּלָתָא דְּפֻרְעָנוּתָא , the three Haftarot of Castigation - the prophetic warnings of doom as a result of disobeying G-d, abstracted from Jeremiah and Isaiah.
And then, for the next seven Shabbatot (Va-et’chanan, Eikev, Re’eh, Shoftim, Ki Teitzei, Ki Tavo, and Nitzavim), the Haftarot are the שֶׁבַע דְּנֶחֱמָתָא, the seven Haftarot of Consolation - all abstracted from Isaiah, all depicting the magnificent future that awaits us.
After the mourning comes the rejoicing, after the exile comes the return home, after the destruction comes the renaissance.
The Haftarah for Parashat Nitzavim, Isaiah 61:10-63:9, concludes this period of consolation. With this final Shabbat of the year, our healing from the ravages of the Three Weeks is complete.
The Prophet promises us at the beginning of this Haftarah:
כִּי כָאָרֶץ תּוֹצִיא צִמְחָהּ וּכְגַנָּה זֵרוּעֶיהָ תַצְמִיחַ - כֵּן ה' אֱלֹקִים יַצְמִיחַ צְדָקָה וּתְהִלָּה נֶגֶד כָּל־ הַגּוֹיִם:
“Because like the land puts forth its plants, and like a garden causes its seeds to sprout - so Hashem G-d will make righteousness and praise sprout facing all the nations” (Isaiah 61:11).
The Prophet’s wording is ambiguous: we have translated the phrase נֶגֶד כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם as “facing all the nations”. Others translate it as “before all the nations” (JPS, Jerusalem Bible, Margolin, Hertz), or “opposite all the nations” (Judaica Press), or “in the face of all the nations” (ArtScroll).
But the word נֶגֶד literally means “against”. Hence: “Hashem G-d will make righteousness and praise sprout against all the nations”.
Ever since the genocidal psychopaths of the Hamas attacked us almost two years ago, Jew-hate throughout the world has skyrocketed. The United Nations has voted overwhelmingly against Israel times without number. We are being condemned daily merely for existing.
It is all too easy to feel that all the nations - well, not quite all the nations, just the overwhelming majority of them - are united against us.
But the Prophet Isaiah guarantees us that G-d’s ultimate righteousness will yet sprout and flourish in the sight of all the nations - and if necessary against all the nations.
We are heading, more swiftly than ever, for this ultimate consolation, the time when the entire world will be forced to recognise the ultimate justice of our cause.
When the end comes, it comes swiftly:
Last week’s Haftarah concluded with Isaiah’s prophecy, “I am Hashem, in its time I will hasten it” (Isaiah 60:22). This phrase has different implications; but the Radak, the Malbim, and Metzudat David in their respective commentaries give the simple explanation: that when the time for Redemption comes, whenever that may be, G-d will hasten it.
And this elucidates a consistent peculiarity in Isaiah’s prophecies of the Redemption.
Our Haftarah begins with the beautiful message, “שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ, I will greatly rejoice in Hashem, my soul will exult in my G-d, because He will have attired me in the clothes of Redemption” (Isaiah 61:10).
This doubling of words (שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ) is standard Hebrew idiom for emphasis - and the Seven Haftarot of Consolation are replete with examples:
“Comfort ye, comfort ye My nation” (40:1); “It is I, it is I Who is Hashem, other than Me there is no Saviour” (43:11); “It is I, it is I Who erases your sins for My own sake” (43:25). “Awake, awake!” (52:1); “It is I, it is I Who comforts you” (51:12); “Arouse yourself, arouse yourself!” (51:17); “Pass through, pass through the gates, clear the path of the nation; pave, pave the highway, clear it of stones” (62:10, in our Haftarah).
Now all these prophecies share a grammatical peculiarity - a very abstruse point of Hebrew grammar, particularly difficult to identify because it is not something which appears in the text, rather something that does not appear. What is missing is the pasek, is a vertical line inserted between two words, separating them; grammatically, it indicates a break or pause, somewhere between a comma and a semicolon in English (vide Rashi on Genesis 18:21, s.v. הבאה אלי עשו, and Rashbam ibid., s.v. עשו כלה).
When a word is repeated in the Tanach, Hebrew grammar demands that there be a pause separating the doubled word or name. This pause can be indicated by the cantillation marks (the “trop” in Yiddish, often called simply “notes”): these are classified as either טְעָמִים מַפְסִיקִים (separative cantillation marks) or as טְעָמִים מְחַבְּרִים (conjunctive cantillation marks), and the required pause between repeated words can be indicated by separative cantillation marks.
For example: -
- וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים עֲיָרִ֖ים לָהֶ֑ם לָהֶ֞ם יִקְרְא֣וּ חַוֺּ֣ת יָאִ֗יר, “and they had thirty towns, they called them Yair’s Farms” (Judges 10:4): the אֶתְנַחְתָּ֑א under the first “לָהֶם” is a separative cantillation mark.
- וַיַּֽעֲבִרֵ֥נִי בַמַּ֖יִם מַ֣יִם בִּרְכָּ֑יִם, “He led me through the water, water knee-deep” (Ezekiel 47:4): the טִפְּחָ֖ה under the first “מַיִם” is a separative cantillation mark.
- אֲנִ֨י אֲנִ֤י אֶטְרֹף֙ וְאֵלֵ֔ךְ, “I, I will devour and will go” (Hosea 5:14): the פַּשְׁטָא֙ above the first “אֲנִי” is a separative cantillation mark.
But when the cantillation marks for the repeated word or name are conjunctive, then the required pause is indicated by a pasek.
For example: -
- וַיְהִ֕י כְּדַבְּרָ֥הּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף י֣וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם, “And it happened, as she spoke to Joseph day-by-by” (Genesis 39:10): the מֻנַּ֣ח under the first “יוֹם” is a conjunctive cantillation mark.
- וְאָֽמְרָ֥ה הָֽאִשָּׁ֖ה אָמֵ֥ן ׀ אָמֵֽן, “And the woman will say, Amen, amen!” (Numbers 5:22): the מֵרְכָ֥ה under the first “אָמֵן” is a conjunctive cantillation mark.
- וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֶל־אָבִ֖יו רֹאשִׁ֣י ׀ רֹאשִׁ֑י, “And he said to his father: My head! My head!” (2 Kings 4:19): the מֻנַּ֣ח under the first “רֹאשִׁי” is a conjunctive cantillation mark.
And this is the grammatical peculiarity: all of Isaiah’s double-expressions of comfort are written with conjunctive cantillation marks, yet none of them have a pasek as Hebrew grammar demands:
נַֽחֲמ֥וּ נַֽחֲמ֖וּ עַמִּ֑י יֹאמַ֖ר אֱלֹֽקֵיכֶֽם - “Comfort ye, comfort ye My nation” (40:1).
אָֽנֹכִ֥י אָֽנֹכִ֖י ה' וְאֵ֥ין מִבַּלְעָדַ֖י מוֹשִֽׁיעַ - “It is I, it is I Who is Hashem, other than Me there is no Saviour” (43:11).
אָֽנֹכִ֨י אָֽנֹכִ֥י ה֛וּא מֹחֶ֥ה פְשָׁעֶ֖יךָ לְמַֽעֲנִ֑י - “It is I, it is I Who erases your sins for My own sake” (43:25).
עוּרִ֨י עוּרִ֤י לִבְשִׁי־עֹז֙ זְר֣וֹעַ ה' - “Awake, awake! Wear garments of might, O Arm of Hashem!” (51:9).
אָֽנֹכִ֧י אָֽנֹכִ֛י ה֖וּא מְנַֽחֶמְכֶ֑ם - “It is I, it is I Who comforts you” (51:12).
הִתְעֽוֹרְרִ֣י הִֽתְעוֹרְרִ֗י ק֚וּמִי יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁתִ֛ית מִיַּ֥ד ה' אֶת־כּ֣וֹס חֲמָת֑וֹ - “Arouse yourself, arouse yourself! Rise up, O Jerusalem, who has drunk from Hashem’s Hand the cup of His fury” (51:17).
עוּרִ֥י עוּרִ֛י לִבְשִׁ֥י עֻזֵּ֖ךְ צִיּ֑וֹן - “Awake, awake! Wear your garments of might, O Zion!”(52:1).
שׂ֧וֹשׂ אָשִׂ֣ישׂ בַּֽה' תָּגֵ֤ל נַפְשִׁי֙ בֵּֽאלֹקַי - “I will greatly rejoice [literally “rejoicing I will rejoice”] in Hashem, my soul will exult in my G-d” (61:10).
עִבְר֤וּ עִבְרוּ֙ בַּשְּׁעָרִ֔ים פַּנּ֖וּ דֶּ֣רֶךְ הָעָ֑ם סֹ֣לּוּ סֹ֤לּוּ הַֽמְסִלָּה֙ סַקְּל֣וּ מֵאֶ֔בֶן - “Pass through, pass through the gates, clear the path of the nation; pave, pave the highway, clear it of stones” (62:10, in our Haftarah).
Why these formations?
Why נַֽחֲמ֥וּ נַֽחֲמ֖וּ, instead of the grammatically-correct נַֽחֲמ֥וּ ׀ נַֽחֲמ֖וּ? And why אָֽנֹכִ֥י אָֽנֹכִ֖י, instead of the grammatically-correct אָֽנֹכִ֥י ׀ אָֽנֹכִ֖י? And so on, with all Isaiah’s double-expressions of comfort?
I suggest: -
The first instance of this grammatical peculiarity occurs when G-d first called to Moshe at the Burning Bush:
וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֵלָ֨יו אֱלֹקִ֜ים מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֗ה וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה, “And G-d called to him from the midst of the bush, saying: Moshe, Moshe!” (Exodus 3:4).
The Midrash notes that there is no pasek: מֹשֶׁ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה, instead of the expected מֹשֶׁ֥ה ׀ מֹשֶׁ֖ה, and explains:
“You find [that the angel called] אַבְרָהָ֣ם ׀ אַבְרָהָ֑ם, ‘Abraham, Abraham’ (Genesis 22:11), with a pasek; and [G-d called] יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב ׀ יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב, ‘Jacob, Jacob’ (Genesis 46:2) with a pasek; and [He called] שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל ׀ שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל, ‘Samuel, Samuel’ (1 Samuel 3:10) with a pasek; but [G-d’s call] מֹשֶׁ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה, ‘Moshe Moshe’ is without a pasek. Why is this? - It is like a man upon whom was placed a terrible burden, and cried out: Anyone, anyone! Come close to me and unload this burden form me!” (Shemot Rabbah 2:6).
And then the Midrash elucidates this explanation:
“Rabbi Shimon bar Yochay taught: What is the inference of מֹשֶׁ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה, ‘Moshe Moshe’? - This is an expression of love, an expression of haste” (ibid.).
When the Children of Israel were suffering intolerable burdens in Egypt, and when G-d had decreed that their time for redemption had come, He did not suffer a moment’s delay.
מֹשֶׁ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה, “Moshe Moshe”, without even that minuscule pause which the pasek would have indicated had He called מֹשֶׁ֥ה ׀ מֹשֶׁ֖ה, “Moshe, Moshe”.
And similarly, when the Prophet Isaiah tells us of the magnificent, glorious, halcyon days yet to come, he uses the same formulation: from נַֽחֲמ֥וּ נַֽחֲמ֖וּ עַמִּ֑י - “Comfort ye, comfort ye My nation”, through אָֽנֹכִ֥י אָֽנֹכִ֖י ה' - “It is I, it is I Who is Hashem”, to עִבְר֤וּ עִבְרוּ֙ בַּשְּׁעָרִ֔ים...סֹ֣לּוּ סֹ֤לּוּ הַֽמְסִלָּה֙ - “Pass through, pass through the gates…pave, pave the highway”, and all his other double expressions of comfort, he invariably uses conjunctive cantillation marks without a pasek.
Indeed, “an expression of love, an expression of haste”. Because in the time of the final Redemption, when G-d decrees that His children have suffered intolerable burdens, when He decrees that the time for final Redemption has come, He does not suffer a moment’s delay.
With this message, we conclude the year 5785. The end is swiftly approaching, and Hashem brooks no delay in the Redemption.
So I wish all my readers a Happy New Year 5786. And if I have inadvertently offended anyone with anything I have written, I ask for forgiveness.
In the words of so many of our Sages:
תִּכְלֶה שָׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ, תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ!
“Let the year with its curses end, let the year with its blessings begin!”