A teaching in honor of Rabbi Menachem Creditor.
This is the last Shabbat of 5782.
We stand here today, all of us—ready to great the new year. Standing. Ready to go forward. With hope. Hope is a mitzvah. Despair is a sin. Or so the rabbis teach us.
I have always liked the juxtaposition of this portion with standing to welcome the New Year, to Enter the New year. Just as Joshua and the people are about to cross over into the Land of Israel, we are ready—almost ready, maybe never fully ready, to cross over to the new year. To 5783. It is a threshold moment. Liminal time.
Seven weeks ago, we gathered for Tisha B’av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. We read the book of Lamentations, but we did not end in despair. Whenever we read a haftarah, we don’t end on.a down note. Instead, we repeat a verse to end on a positive note, to end in hope. For Tisha B’av, we read a verse that we repeat every week during the Torah Service:
Hashivenu,
Return to us and we shall return. Renew our days as of old.
This is a verse that has sustained me throughout the pandemic. It has brought me hope. We will return one day to life as normal—whatever that means. And this week as we enter 5783 it feels almost normal. A return to some of our old favorites. To our wall that is open. To more people in the building. To our cantorial soloist in person from Denver. To baby sitting and children’s programing. It feels good. It brings me hope.
Our Torah portion also reminds us to return. If we return to G-d will all of our hearts and all of our souls, then G-d will grant us prosperity, for our offspring, our cattle, our fields. We will live and it will go well for us.
My friend and colleague, Rabbi Menachem Creditor has another thought. He is not sure we should go back, those days were never so good, “What glory days am I talking about,” he asked in an exquisite sermon. It is not good enough. Rather, It is up to us, to perform a holy chutzpah. to envision a world that our ancestors could not have dreamed of. We need to envision something better. We are aching for something better.
.After 29 chapters of Moses’s swan song, we see the end of Moses’ career. He is not going into the Land of Israel with the people he has led since the beginning of the Book of Exodus. For 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. This is a big transition moment. A passing of the torch.
He appoints Joshua to lead the people. He and G-d both bless Jushua with Chazak v’emetz. Strength and courage. Last night we talked about what we need to stand on the edge and cross over. Strength and courage. Peace. Patience. Forbearance and perseverance. Kindness. Love. Support. Loving Support. Faith and Trust. Hope. And water, because we are still in the desert.
These are the things that will carry us through. Caryus through to the other side. All the way into 5783.
May each of us be blessed with these. Chazak v’emetz.
But Rabbi Creditor points out something else. The blessings are almost identical. Almost but not quite.
The difference is significant. Moses says to Joshua. “Atah Tavo—You will go with the people.: G-d blesses Joshua and says, “Atah Tavi—You shall bring in the people.”
As Creditor points out, Rashi, one of our leading Torah commentators also noticed the difference. Sometimes we lead with consensus, from the middle of the people. We go with the people. Tavo. And sometimes we have to drag the people along. Moses spent much of his life dragging the kvetching people along.
There is also not much of a difference between the two letters, Yud the end of Tavi and Vuv the end of Tavo. You could almost miss it. You might even think that it is a scribal error. And both are letters in the Divine Name. So at some levels we go with Adonai, with G-d.
We are strong as we stand to enter 5783. Stronger than we thought. Stronger than we thought possible. We enter 5783 just as Joshua and the people did, Chazak v’emetz. This community and this teaching bring me hope. Be strong and of good courage. Amen.