Rabbi Eric Linder
On Yom Kippur, we read a beautiful section toward the end of Deuteronomy. It is Moses’ last speech to the Israelites, as he reminds them who they are:
You are standing before God in order to enter into the Covenant of God and take the oath that God makes with you, so that God may fulfill God’s promise to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is not with you alone, but with those who are here and those who are not here that God makes this Covenant and oath.
Typically, each of us are able to look around the sanctuaries and see the faces of our congregation as these words are read. We are able to see that indeed, Atem Nitzavim, all of us are indeed here.
Many of our synagogues will be (mostly) empty during the High Holidays, but the portion still retains its power. Physically, it doesn’t matter if we are standing under Mount Sinai, in our gorgeous sanctuaries, or in the privacy of our homes. We are Jews and we continue to reaffirm our commitment to Jewish life. And so I think that this year, this portion will be even more powerful: Yes, we are physically distanced. Yes, we are missing the intimacy and warmth of our holy spaces. And even so, Atem Nitzavim. We will stand together.
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