[Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar] This week's parsha — פָּרָשַׁת נִצָּבִים — and פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּלֶךְ. Two parshiyos, one last day. Listen. [Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt] הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַהַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֵינוּ — the hidden things belong to הַשֵּׁם; וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ — what is revealed is ours, and our children's, עַד־עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת — forever — to keep this whole תּוֹרָה. [Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar] It is the last day of the life of מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ. And what does he do? Rashi says — he gathers them. אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם — you are all standing here today: the heads of the שְׁבָטִים, the elders, the officers. The children. The wives. The גֵּר in the camp. מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ — from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water. Everyone. Standing together, entering the בְּרִית together — and not only them. With the ones standing here today, the pasuk says, and with the ones who are not here — and Rashi says who that is: the generations of the future. Every generation that would ever be born was standing in that covenant. [Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt] הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַהַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֵינוּ — the hidden things belong to הַשֵּׁם; וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ — what is revealed is ours, and our children's, עַד־עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת — forever — to keep this whole תּוֹרָה. [Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar] And then מֹשֶׁה looks far into the future and tells them what will happen — the blessing, the curse, the scattering. And then: וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד־הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ. You will return, all the way back to הַשֵּׁם. And listen to what Rashi says on וְשָׁב הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ אֶת־שְׁבוּתְךָ — it does not say He will BRING BACK your captivity. It says וְשָׁב — He Himself will return. The שְׁכִינָה is in גָּלוּת with us, and when we come home, כִּבְיָכוֹל, הַשֵּׁם comes home with us. From the edge of the heavens He gathers us. And He circumcises the heart — וּמָל הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ — so that we love Him with everything we have. [Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt] הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַהַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֵינוּ — the hidden things belong to הַשֵּׁם; וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ — what is revealed is ours, and our children's, עַד־עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת — forever — to keep this whole תּוֹרָה. [Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar] And if a person says — it is too far, it is too high, I cannot reach it — the parsha answers him directly. לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא. It is not in heaven. And Rashi says: if it were in heaven, you would have to climb up after it and learn it. וְלֹא־מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם הִוא — it is not across the sea. כִּי־קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד — it is close to you, so close. בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ. In your mouth. In your heart. To do. And then מֹשֶׁה puts the whole thing on the table: רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם — see, I have set before you today life and good, death and bad. Heaven and earth are witnesses. וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים — choose life. And the Sforno says: choosing life means choosing the life that lasts forever. [Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt] הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַהַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֵינוּ — the hidden things belong to הַשֵּׁם; וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ — what is revealed is ours, and our children's, עַד־עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת — forever — to keep this whole תּוֹרָה. [Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar] A hundred and twenty years old, הַיּוֹם. מֹשֶׁה calls יְהוֹשֻׁעַ in front of everyone: חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ — be strong and courageous, הַשֵּׁם walks before you, He will not let go of your hand. The תּוֹרָה is written and given to the כֹּהֲנִים. And a מִצְוָה for the generations: הַקְהֵל אֶת־הָעָם — every seventh year, gather everyone. הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף — the men, the women, the little ones who cannot even understand yet — so they hear, and they learn. And then הַשֵּׁם gives מֹשֶׁה one last thing to write: a שִׁירָה. Write this song and teach it to בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, put it in their mouths — כִּי לֹא תִשָּׁכַח מִפִּי זַרְעוֹ — because a song is never forgotten from the mouths of the children. מֹשֶׁה wrote it that very day. And that is why we sing. [Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt] הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַהַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֵינוּ — the hidden things belong to הַשֵּׁם; וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ — what is revealed is ours, and our children's, עַד־עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת — forever — to keep this whole תּוֹרָה.
