Vayelech - 5782
Have Mercy and Be Happy with us
We say in the davening on Rosh Hashanah ותשמח במעשיך חמול על מעשיך that Hashem should have compassion and mercy on us and that Hashem should be happy with us. These two statements seem to be a contradiction. We begin saying that we are unworthy when we ask חמול על מעשיך but then we immediately say ותשמח במעשיך to be happy with us, which sounds like we are claiming to be worthy and good people? How could these two statements be understood together?
An explanation could be that we are asking Hashem for a chance. We say חמול על מעשיך that Hashem should have compassion on us and then we say ותשמח במעשיך that if Hashem gives us a chance, then hopefully he will end up being happy with us. So if Hashem is חמול על מעשיך, then it may come to ותשמח במעשיך that Hashem will be happy with us and what we’ve done.
During the עשרת ימי תשובה, we say in Kadish לעילא ולעילא. The meaning of the whole statement לעילא ולעילא וכו' דאמירן בעלמא is thatלעתיד לבא You-Hashem, will be praised above all the שירות ותשבחות that we give בזמן הזה. This is a statement that we are saying about how much greater the ברכות ותשבחות of לעתיד לבא will be compared to בזמן הזה.
But the question is why does it make sense to change the nusach of Kadish during the עשרת ימי תשובה if we aren’t talking about what will be then, rather we should be talking about what is now? And on the contrary, it should be the opposite. The שירות ותשבחות during the עשרת ימי תשובה, when we are on a higher level, are closer, meaning there is less of a gap between that time and לעתיד לבא. As opposed to the rest of the year, there is a much greater gap between that time and לעתיד לבא. Therefore it would make more sense to say לעילא ולעילא during the rest of the year emphasizing how far the שירות ותשבחות are now from what they will be לעתיד לבא and during the עשרת ימי תשובה, perhaps we should just say לעילא because there is a smaller gap between that time and לעתיד לבא.
The answer could be that it’s true that during the עשרת ימי תשובה we are on a higher level, but the higher level we reach, the more we realize how far we are. The more we realize how great the gap is between where we are and where we will be. Therefore, it’s specifically during the עשרת ימי תשובה where we are on a much greater level than the rest of the year that we say לעילא ולעילא because it’s then when we understand how much greater the שירות ותשבחות of לעתיד לבא will be in comparison to now.
The Chosen People
In the Shemona Esreih on Rosh Hashanah we say ובכן four times: ובכן יתקדש, ובכן תן פחדך, ובכן תן כבוד, ובכן צדיקים. Regarding the middle two, we first say ובכן, תן פחדך ה' אלהינו על כל מעשיך ואימתך על כל מה שבראת וייראוך כל המעשים וישתחוו לפניך כל הברואים ויעשו כלם אגדה אחת לעשות רצונך בלבב שלם.
This ובכן is addressing all of humankind, asking that Hashem instill his awe within everyone. However, the next ובכן says ובכן, תן כבוד ה' לעמך, תהלה ליראיך ותקוה טובה לדורשיך, ופתחון פה למיחלים לך. This is addressing Klal Yisrael saying that Hashem should grant honor to his people. What is the connection between these two ובכן?
The Rav said that his father writes in his Sefer אבן יחזקאל, which was published in 1950 (five years after the Holocaust) when the author was twenty years the following. Klal Yisrael is the chosen people from among the other nations. However, the way the Goyim look and act, choosing Klal Yisrael is the obvious choice and it doesn’t say much about Klal Yisrael when we are chosen over the other nations. (This idea was felt by the author five years after the Holocaust, clearly showing his inner feelings regarding what he’d just experience, as if to say that when seeing how the Goyim act, Klal Yisrael is the obvious choice.) Therefore, we daven first ובכן, תן פחדך ה' אלהינו על כל מעשיך ואימתך על כל מה שבראת that all of humankind should have the fear of Hashem instilled within them. And then once everyone is equal, so to speak, then we say ובכן, תן כבוד ה' לעמך that Hashem should choose us and grant honor to his people.
Like Grain and a Grapevine
In the Haftorah for Shabbos Shuva, the Pasuk says ישבו ישבי בצלו יחיו דגן ויפרחו כגפן-Tranquil will be those who sit in its shade, they will refresh themselves like grain and blossom like the grapevine. The Pasuk refers to someone doing Teshuva as refreshing themselves like grain and blossoming like the grapevine. What is the significance of these two fruits that they are used to describe someone who does Teshuva?
The Bnei Yisaschar explains as follows. The Gemara in Brachos 35b discussing why wine has a special Brachah suggests the reason is because אישתני לעלויא אשתני לברכה. Because wine changes for the better, so the improvement warrants a different Brachah. Rashi there writes that when there is a change, it becomes בריאת אדם and doesn’t remain בריאת שמים. What is unique about wine is that it allows for the human to take something from שמים and input his effort to improve it. The same idea is found by grain. Although a Machlokes, there is an opinion that one makes a שהכל on grain that gets crushed up and only gets a מזונות once it’s produced and made into its final product.
The idea behind these two fruits is that there is room for the human input to improve the fruit. Even more so by grain, first it gets crushed up and gets a lower level Brachah but then once worked on reaches an even higher level Brachah. This represents the idea that a person sometimes has a regression in order to have a progression. So when the Pasuk says the Baal Teshuva will be יחיו דגן ויפרחו כגפן, it’s expressing this point that through his input and effort a person will become improved.
ופשעים יכשלו בם
In the Haftorah, the Pasuk says כי ישרים דרכי ה' וצדיקים ילכו בם ופשעים יכשלו בם. Rashi explain this Pasuk that the ופשעים are יכשלו בם because they don’t go in the ways of the Torah. But that isn’t the implication of the Pasuk because it says יכשלו בם that they specifically stumble in them, and not that they stumble because they don’t do them.
Another explanation could be that The Rambam in הלכות דעות writes that the דרכי ה' is the דרך הממוצע, avoiding any extremes. However, a person who has gone to an extreme, in order to get back to the middle must go to the other extreme. So ופשעים יכשלו בם because they really need to go to the other extreme in order to end up in the middle but they aren’t. That’s why for פושעים, the דרכי ה' which is the דרך הממוצע is יכשלו בם because they shouldn’t be there rather they should be at an extreme in order to eventually get back to the middle.
Incorporating the hardships into the song
The Pasuk says ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת. Rashi says this Shira is referring to the Shira of Haazinu. If one looks through the Shira of Haazinu, it doesn’t seem much like a song. The majority of it discusses the תוכחה and the various bad things that will happen to Klal Yisrael. In what wat could Haazinu be referred to as a Shira?
In Tehillim 33, the Pasuk saysשירו לו שיר חדש that we should sing to Hashem a new song andהיטיבו נגן בתרועה that we should improve the נגן with a תרועה. The first question is how a person could possibly have a new Shira that wasn’t sung by someone else if there have been so many people singing Shira in history. Furthermore, the Rashi in Rosh Hashanah 33b says that a תרועה is the sound a person makes כאדם הגונח מלבו כדרך החולים and כאדם הבוכה ומקונן. How is a person supposed to improve the נגן with such a sound?
Regarding music, a tune that is flat is not music. Music is only created when it has twists and turns, ups and downs and constant change. Just like in a song, the back and forth of the notes together make up the beauty of the song, so also in life we should realize the regressions and progressions are all part of one complete wholeness. So if a person is able to incorporate the תרועות into his song, he will always be able to sing a שיר חדש. By transforming all the hardships into an opportunity for growth.
This is the meaning of the continuation of the Pasuk which says כי ישר דבר ה' וכל מעשהו באמונה. We have faith that everything Hashem does is for the good and if we have that attitude, then we could actually utilize every hardship and make it part of our song.
This idea can be seen in the following vort. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 92b says:
אמר רבי יצחק יוצק זהב רותח לתוך פיו של אותו רשע שאילמלא (לא) בא מלאך וסטרו על פיו ביקש לגנות כל שירות ותשבחות שאמר דוד בספר תהלים
The Kutzker asked that at the end of the day נבוכדנצר was able to deride all the שירות ותשבחות of דוד המלך so why was it that he was hit on his mouth? The answer is that the Malach was saying let’s see if he could still do it while getting a smack on his mouth. Dovid Hamelech endured tremendous צרות throughout his life and was nonetheless able to sing שירות ותשבחות through understanding that hardships are what enable personal growth.
The next Pasuk in the above mentioned פרק in Tehillim says אהב צדקה ומשפט חסד ה' מלאה הארץ. One could ask that if it’s משפט, then it’s not חסד and if it’s חסד, then it’s not משפט. So how could the Pasuk say אהב צדקה ומשפט חסד ה' מלאה הארץ?
The Pasuk in Tehillim 89 says עולם חסד יבנה. However, Rashi in the beginning of Breishis on the Pasuk בראשית ברא אלקים quotes Chazal saying בתחלה עלה במחשבה לבראתו במדת הדין, ראה שאין העולם מתקיים, הקדים מדת רחמים ושתפה למדת הדין. So was the world created with חסד or דין?
In a perfect world with the ultimate חסד, there would only be דין. The reason why דין is the ultimate חסד is because the true חסד is to allow a person to achieve on his own and not to hand things to him for free which is considered נהמא דכיסופא. A עני is חשוב כמת because he is just a receiver and not a giver and as it says שונא מתנת יחיה that only a person who hates מתנת has a reason to live because we live in order to accomplish as it says חי נושא את עצמו. Someone who is only on the receiving end has no reason to live.
However, it was clear to Hashem that the world couldn’t last with just דין so he added מדת רחמים ושתפה למדת הדין. Adding מדת רחמים with מדת הדין, is a compromise in the חסד because the ultimate חסד would be just דין, but because אין העולם מתקיים, so Hashem was משתף מידת הרחמים which was a compromise in the חסד. Therefore a person needs to look at all his challenges and see them as an opportunity for growth and achievement and then he will be היטיבו נגן בתרועה that his תרועות will become part of his song. That’s why the Pasuk continues אהב צדקה ומשפט חסד ה' מלאה הארץ that even though we experience משפט, nevertheless it’s חסד ה' מלאה הארץ because we realize that the משפט expresses the חסד.
Messages of וילך
The Parshah begins וילך משה וידבר את הדברים האלה אל כל ישראל. The meforshim are bothered that if last week’s Parshah was אתם נצבים היום where Moshe Rabbeinu was addressing the people, so he was already with the people by the beginning of Vayelech. If so, how could the Pasuk say וילך משה that Moshe went?
The Ramban answers this question and says כי משה הלך ממחנה לויה אל מחנה ישראל לכבדם that after he addressed all the people by אתם נצבים היום כלכם לפני ה' אלהיכם, he went to them individually. However, the Targum Yonasan says ואזל משה למשכן בית אולפנא ומליל ית פתגמיא האלין עם כל ישראל that Moshe Rabbeinu went to the Bes Medrash. On the Pasuk לא אוכל עוד לצאת ולבוא, Rashi saysלצאת ולבא בדברי תורה, מלמד שנסתמו ממנו מסורות ומעינות החכמה.
If the Targum Yonasan is put together with what Rashi is saying, then an explanation could be that while he had the מעינות החכמה, he learned on his own. But now that they were נסתמו, so he went to the Beis Medrash to go hear something from others.
Another idea could be that the Torah is teaching us that Moshe Rabbeinu at the end of his life went to the Beis Medrash to tell the people that he can no longer teach. Instead of just staying home, he went to the Beis Medrash specifically to say that he can no longer say shiur. This is an important message that when the time comes, a person should be able to say such a thing.
Recognzing growth and not giving up
In the end Parshas Vayeilech, Moshe says the following:
כי אנכי ידעתי את מריך ואת ערפך הקשה הן בעודני חי עמכם היום ממרים היתם עם יקוק ואף כי אחרי מותי, כי ידעתי אחרי מותי כי השחת תשחתון וסרתם מן הדרך אשר צויתי אתכם וקראת אתכם הרעה באחרית הימים כי תעשו את הרע בעיני יקוק להכעיסו במעשה ידיכם. (לא, כז כט)
In these Psukim, it seems like Moshe Rabbeinu is summing up his tenure as a total failure. But we know that Moshe Rabbeinus impact was forever lasting so why is he saying this at the end of his career?
Really the message that Moshe is trying to convey is that although it was terrible, I never gave up and I continued. And not only did he continue, but he succeeded even though at times it appears to be complete failure.
This is an important reading to be read in the ימי התשובה because although not everyone is a leader of the Jewish people, but he is a leader of his own life. And people may expect immediate and complete change in their lives and if they don’t experience that, they give up because they feel that they aren’t accomplishing anything. However, they should understand that it requires multiple tries and with every time they make some improvement and that they shouldn’t be crushed when things go sour. Nothing gets lost and each effort adds up to something.
Retaining Optimism
In the above Pasuk, Moshe Rabbeinu says about Klal Yisrael כי אנכי ידעתי את מריך ואת ערפך הקשה הן בעודני חי עמכם היום ממרים היתם עם ה'. The question is why does Moshe say ממרים היתם which is past tense? It would’ve made more sense for Moshe to say ממרים אתם that they are rebellious?
The Ohr Hachaim asks this question and he writes the following: ואומרו הייתם לשון עבר כי אפשר שהרהרו תשובה באותה שעה, וכדין (קידושין מ"ט ב) המקדש אשה על מנת שהוא צדיק גמור אף על פי שנמצא שהיה רשע גמור אנו אומרים שהיא מקודשת שמא הרהר תשובה באותה שעה
This is a profound message that after all the frustration and feeling that he didn’t accomplish and that they are ממרים, nevertheless he didn’t lose his optimism. He considered the possibility that already at this moment that he is talking to the people that they are a changed people. He says ממרים היתם as if to say that at this point, he doesn’t know where they are holding and there is a possibility that they are already a changed people.
5781 - Nitzavim
Celebration for a Birth
The Kiddush this week was sponsored by Uriel (A.K.A Grant) Rosenbaum in honor of the birth of his daughter, Michal Nechama.
The Minhag to celebrate the birth of child. However one could ask that it’s an odd thing that we celebrate the birth of a child being that בית שמאי and בית הלל had a debate for two and a half years if נח לו לאדם שלא נברא or נח לו לאדם שנברא and they came out that it would be better for man to not have been created. However, נח doesn’t necessarily mean better or worse rather it means comfortable. So even if it means going out of one’s comfort zone because it would be more comfortable to stay with Hashem, nonetheless we realize that in order to accomplish, one needs to move beyond his comfort zone. Therefore we celebrate in spite of the fact that it’s uncomfortable, we understand that moving beyond our comfort zone is the only way we can actually accomplish something.
The Chinuch, on the first Mitzvah of פריה ורביה says that by having children, we are enabling the קיום of the Torah because only human beings can be מקיים the Torah. So when a Jew brings a child into this world, he isn’t just adding another person to the world but he is adding another person to Am Yisrael. This is connected to that which the Sefer Akeidas Yitzchak (written by ר' יצחק עראמה who lived during the time of the Spanish Inqusition, 1420-1494) says on the Pasuk in the Parshah ולא אתכם לבדכם אני כורת וכו' כי את אשר ישנו פה וכו' ואת אשר איננו פה וכו' and he writes the following:
להיות מבואר שאין אדם מוריש לבניו ולזרעו אחריו חובת נדר ושבועת איסור לדורות עולם באופן שלא יוכלו למחות בה כל זמן שלא קבלוה עליהם וכו' האמנה כי לדעתי אין דבר השבועה הזאת כמו שחשבו רבים ואין קיום ונצחיות ברית השם יתעלה ואהבתו עם האומה הזאת תלויין בחומרתה אבל הוא קיום ודבוק טבעי הכרחי גדול וחזק ממנו לא ישוער בטולו בשום צד וענין בעולם. והוא מה שיחייב חק וטבע כל נמצא שלא להפרש מחייו ומה שישים ברית כרותה לכל ב"ח שלא יאבד את עצמו שזה אם ישוער באחד מעיר וברוב הימים להפסד דמיונו יעבור החוק ההוא ויאבד את עצמו הנה באמת לא ישוער אפשרותו על כל אישי אותו המין וכמו שאמר בטלה דעתו אצל כל אדם. וכן על זה האופן עצמו לא ישוער אפשרות הנזר האומה הזאת מאלהיה וממצותיו וחקיו בשום פנים כי הוא חק מוטבע בהם יותר חמור ויותר חזק משבועה וכו' והיא הוא עקר הברית והאלה אשר לא תופר לעולם. כי לא ישוער לאומה שתבחר בסורה מעל אלהיה בשום פנים כמו שישוער שיבחרו כל אנשים ליחנק יום אחד ומה שאינו בחק טבע האדם לעשותו הנה הוא נחשב לנמנע גמור בחקו כמו שהוא ברית כרותה לעולם שלא יתבטלו אנשיו כלם מצד בחירתם בבטול פריה ורביה וכיוצא אע"פ שאפשר שאחד מעיר יבחר לעשות וכו'.
The Baal HaAkeida explains that which Hashem entered into a Bris with Klal Yisrael and even those who weren’t present at אתם נצבים היום are included in this Bris, wasn’t a שבועה in a legally binding sense. Rather it was through this Bris that Hakdosh Boruch Hu created a natural reality that the connection of the Jewish people and the Ribbono Shel Oilam will never cease to exist. Just like it’s natural that the human race will never cease to exist because people have a natural inclination to want to live. Even though there will be some individuals who might commit suicide or decide not to have children, it will never happen to the human race as a whole. The same is true about the connection of the Jewish people with the Ribbono Shel Oilam that even if some individuals will opt out and discontinue and sever that relationship, nevertheless the Jewish people as a whole will always be connected with the Ribbono Shel Oilam.
(The Baal HaAkeida was a survivor of the Spanish Inquisition and it’s clear that this insight is very much connected to that time period and what he experienced because although many Jews were lost, nevertheless the Jewish people will continue, and it’s clear now how true that was.)
Reshaping the Previous Year’s Brachah
The Shabbos before Rosh Hashanah is technically Shabbos Mevorchim however for Rosh Chodesh Tishrei, we are not mevarech the Chodesh. The Magen Avrohom says because it says בכסה ליום חגינו and therefore it is to be hidden. The Levush writes the reason isכדי לערבב את השטן.
Perhaps another reason is as follows. The Gemara in Megilah 31b explains reason we have the Klalos of Devarim before Rosh Hashanah is כדי שתכלה שנה וקללותיה and the same is with Brachos as the Gemara says תחל שנה וברכותיה. Just like every year has its Klalos and we don’t’ want them to carry over from year to year, the same thing with Brachos. As we say in davening ברך עלינו וכו' את השנה הזאת, that every year has its own specific Brachos and we don’t want the Brachos of the previous year to carry over to the next year. Therefore we aren’t Mevarech the Chodesh of Tishrei in order not to carry over the Brachah from the previous year. The reason we don’t even want the Brachos to carry over from the previous year is because we hope the coming year has such Brachah that it makes the Brachos of the previous year look like Klalos.
Even though in a previous year we would say that we don’t want the Brachos from the previous year, it could be that specifically this coming year will not only bring Brachah but will help shape the previous year as Brachah. The reason is because this coming year is Shemitta and the Pasuk in Parshas Behar 25:20-21 says וכי תאמרו מה נאכל בשנה השביעת וכו' וצויתי את ברכתי לכם בשנה הששית ועשת את התבואה לשלש שנים. It’s clear that the seventh year of Shemitta has the ability to bring Brachah from the year before.
This idea is also expressed on this Shabbos being כז תשרי which according to Reb Elazar is the third day of creating which had טוב twice, one for the creation of day three and for the completion of the creation of day two. It’s the idea of a time or day being able to recreate and reshape another time or day. This is connected to the name of the baby, נחמה, which has the meaning of נחמתי כי עשיתי, that it’s a לשון of Teshuva. This is what Teshuva is all about, it’s about reshaping the past.
The Noam Elimelech says in the name of his brother the Rebbe Reb Zusha (of Hanipol) that he asked that the Torah is so precise when writing to the point where many Halachos are learned out from one word. Why did the Torah have to speak out this conversation of וכי תאמרו מה נאכל בשנה השביעת if it could’ve just written וצויתי את ברכתי לכם בשנה הששית? He answered that if the Torah wouldn’t have spoken out וכי תאמרו and would’ve just written וצויתי את ברכתי, then people would just assume it’s a natural occurrence that the previous year had more produce. But now that the Torah says וכי תאמרו מה נאכל and answers וצויתי את ברכתי, now it’s clear where the Brachah comes from.
Qualifying the Klalos
Rashi in the beginning of Parshas Nitzavim quotes the Medrash that explains why the קללות are next to Nitzavim: ומדרש אגדה למה נסמכה פרשת אתם נצבים לקללות, לפי ששמעו ישראל מאה קללות חסר שתים, חוץ ממ"ט שבתורת כהנים, הוריקו פניהם ואמרו מי יוכל לעמוד באלו, התחיל משה לפייסם אתם נצבים היום, הרבה הכעסתם למקום ולא עשה אתכם כלייה והרי אתם קיימים לפניו(כט,יב)
According to this Medrash, the statement of Moshe Rabbeinu אתם נצבים היום is seemingly undermining and contradicting the idea of the קללות that even though we anger Hashem and error, we are still around and therefore we shouldn’t worry?
Furthermore, the Psukim later in the Parshah say פן יש בכם איש וכו' אשר לבבו פונה וכו' והיה בשמעו את דברי האלה הזאת והתברך בלבבו לאמור שלום יהיה לי כי בשרירות לבי אליך וכו' לא יאבה היה סלח לו כי אז יעשן אף ה' וקנאתו באיש ההוא ורבצה בו כל האלה הכתובה בספר הזה וכו'. According to these Psukim, it’s clear that these Klalos are to be taken seriously and they will be fulfilled. So what is Moshe trying to accomplish by saying אתם נצבים היום, הרבה הכעסתם למקום ולא עשה אתכם כלייה והרי אתם קיימים לפניו?
The answer is that Parshas Nitzavim qualifies the קללות. Only because the Jews were הוריקו פניהם was Hashem מרחם on them. When we reach a point where its לא יוכלו עמוד, then even when we anger Hashem, it will still be אתם נצבים היום. Only someone who is fearless and doesn’t worry from the תוכחה will have to worry about the eventuality of all the קללות. The טור סימן תקפא writes how the Jews on Rosh Hashanah are different than others because Jews on Rosh Hashanah approach their judgement day with confidence, wear white clothing, get haircuts, eat and drink, and celebrate the day like a יום טוב because we are confident that Hashem will perform for us a miracle. The Bach asks if this is the case, then why don’t we wear בגדים מרוקמים וצבעי ארגמ. He answers that too much wouldn’t be good because then it wouldn’t be clear that we are fearful for the day of Judgement and then it’s not בטוח. This is the idea that its only אתם נצבים היום כולכם for those that are פניהם מוריקים ומתייראים שלא יכלו לעמוד. It’s a balance between hope and despair.
But the truth is that it’s the Bitachon itself that brings on the salvation. On the Pasuk מה תצעק אלי in Parshas Beshalach 14:15, the Ohr Hachaim expresses this idea:
אכן יתבאר הענין על פי מאמרם ז'‘ל (שמות רבה פכ'‘א) שישראל היו נתונין בדין מה אלו אף אלו, ודבר ידוע הוא כי כח הרחמים הוא מעשים טובים אשר יעשה האדם למטה יוסיפו כח במדת הרחמים ולהיפך ב'‘מ ימעיטו הכח וכו’ והנה לצד שראה אל עליון כי ישראל קטרגה עליהם מדת הדין, והן אמת כי חפץ ה’ לצדק ישראל אבל אין כח ברחמים לצד מעשיהם כנזכר, אשר על כן אמר למשה תשובה נצחת מה תצעק אלי פירוש כי אין הדבר תלוי בידי הגם שאני חפץ עשות נס כיון שהם אינם ראוים מדת הדין מונעת ואין כח ברחמים כנגד מדת הדין המונעת, ואמר אליו דבר אל בני ישראל פירוש זאת העצה היעוצה להגביר צד החסד והרחמים דבר אל בני ישראל ויתעצמו באמונה בכל לבם ויסעו אל הים קודם שיחלק על סמך הבטחון כי אני אעשה להם נס ובאמצעות זה תתגבר הרחמים.
However, everything said until now is with the understanding that בטוח שיעשה לו נס is going on the individuals judgement for the coming year. However, to answer the question that on one hand we are בטוח שיעשה נס but on the other hand we are concerned because ספרי חיים וספרי מתים פתוחים לפניו, the חכמת שלמה (written by Reb Shlomo Kluger who wrote the amount of seforim as the numerical value of his name שלמה) has the following answer:
וכבר אמרתי בחידושי כמה אופנים ליישב זה וכעת אבאר באופן אחר קצת עפמ"ש בחידושי בילדות על מ"ש במדרש דישראל ואוה"ע נכנסין ומקטריגין בר"ה ואין אנו יודעים מי נצח ממה שישראל יוצאין ולולביהן בידיהם מוכח שישראל נצח. וביארתי הכוונה דעיקר קיטרוג שלהם הוי מי יפול בחלקו יתברך כמו דבתחלת הבריאה נעשה הגורל ונפלו ישראל בחלקו יתברך כמ"ש יעקב חבל נחלתו כמו כן בכל השנה בר"ה כשהקב"ה מחדש עולמו הוי גורל זה ואוה"ע נכנסין ומקטריגין שישליך הקב"ה את ישראל ויבחר בהם ע"ש. ולפ"ז שני דינים יש לנו בר"ה אחד הנוגע בינינו לו יתברך מה שכ"א חייב בעון עצמו והשני הוי מה שאנו נידונים בכלל עם האוה"ע מי יפול בחלקו יתברך. והנה ע"ז הדין שאנו נידונין מי יפול בחלקו יתברך בזה אנו בטוחין שבוודאי יזכו ישראל בדין בלי ספק אבל על הדין השני שבין אדם למקום. יש פנים לכאן ולכאן יש זוכין ויש ח"ו להיפוך. והנה ניחזי אנן אם האדם מצד אחד ירויח הרבה ויבוא לו עושר רב ומצד השני יומשך לו איזה ע"נ אז כל הע"נ כאין יהיה ולא יעשה רושם כנגד ההון והשמחה חדשה הבאה לו. אך זה אם נתחדש לו שמחה חדשה אבל אם הוא עשיר גדול מזמן רב אז אם יזדמן לו איזה ע"נ יצטער ממש כשאר אדם דהתענוג מכבר שכבר הורגל בו האדם זה אינו פועל לבטל הצער. ולכך ה"נ בישראל אם כי יש להם דין הנוגע לעצמן וספק בלבם אם יזכו או לא מכל מקום אין מצטערים על כך כיון שיודעים שיש עליהם דין אחר שאוה"ע מקטריגין להיות ח"ו נדחין מחלקו יחברך ובזה בטוחין שיזכו בדין לכך הצער הזה ממה שנוגע להם הוי כאין וכאפס נגד גודל השמחה שיש להם.
Reb Shlomo Kluger explains that there are really two judgements that take place on Rosh Hashana. One is for each individual in Klal Yisrael and the other is on the entire Klal Yisrael as a nation whether they will be chosen for the coming year as the עם הנבחר. We are בטוחין שיזכו בדין only regarding the נידון of whether or not Klal Yisrael will be chosen again as the עם הנבחר but not regarding the נידון of each individual as we see many do fall out and perish in the year. Even though a person has his own individual doubt as to what will be with his life for the coming year, nevertheless he shouldn’t be so pained about that because he knows about the other נידון of Klal Yisrael against the אומות העולם which we are בטוחין שיזכו בדין. The simchah he has knowing that, will outweigh the worry he has for his individual נידון. This is a powerful message that a Jew should realize and understand that he is part of a bigger picture and the continuity of the Jewish people being the עם הנבחר is really what counts.
Biksav and Baal Peh
In the end of the Parshah, the Pasuk says כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו. Rashi writes תּוֹרָה נִתְּנָה לָכֶם בִּכְתָב וּבְעַל פֶּה. How did Rashi see from this Pasuk תורה שבכתב and תורה שבעל פה? The Sifsei Chachamim tries to give an explanation but it’s still not so clear how Rashi saw this in the Pasuk.
A possible explanation could be as follows. The Magen Avraham in Siman 50 says that if a person learns Torah without understanding, then he isn’t מקיים the Mitzvah of תלמוד תורה. However, the Baal HaTanya writes in Hilchos Talmud Torah that when it comes to תורה שבכתב, a person can be מקיים his Mitzvah by just reading without understanding and it’s only by תורה שבעל פה that one isn’t מקיים anything if he doesn’t understand what he is reading. This is idea is brought out in Rashi in Brachos 5a on the word מקרא says חומש שמצוה לקרות בתורה that one just needs to read it to be מקיים and on משנה, he writes שיתעסקו במשנה expressing that one must understand it to be מקיים the Mitzvah of תלמוד תורה.
According to this, when the Pasuk says בפיך, it’s is referring to תורה שבכתב because it only needs to be in your mouth, reading without understanding, as Rashi says מצוה לקרות. But בלבבך is תורה שבעל פה as Rashi says שיתעסקו that it needs to be understood.
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Lack of Shabbos Mevorchim for Rosh Chodesh Tishrei
The Shabbos before Rosh Hashana is technically Shabbos Mevorchim however for Rosh Chodesh Tishrei, we are not mevarech the Chodesh. The Magen Avrohom says because it says בכסה ליום חגינו and therefore it is to be hidden. The Levush writes the reason is כדי לערבב את השטן.
Perhaps another reason is as follows. The Gemara in Megilah 31b explains reason we have the Klalos of Devarim before Rosh Hashanah is כדי שתכלה שנה וקללותיה and the same is with Brachos as the Gemara says תחל שנה וברכותיה. Just like every year has its Klalos and we don’t’ want them to carry over from year to year, the same thing with Brachos. As we say in davening ברך עלינו וכו’ את השנה הזאת, that every year has its own specific Brachos and we don’t want the Brachos of the previous year to carry over to the next year. Therefore we aren’t Mevarech the Chodesh of Tishrei in order not to carry over the Brachah from the previous year.
Usually, we might not be able to feel it because we don’t see it, but there are cosmic affects that happen in the world over Rosh Hashanah. If not for the fact that we are part of a Jewish community, we wouldn’t be able to feel such affects because they can’t be seen and therefore are hard to believe. But they are nonetheless very much happening. But this year, is slightly different and we can learn something from the Corona virus. The virus is something that affected the whole world but is something that can’t be seen by the human eye. So we see things are happening physically that can’t be seen by the human eye. The truth is many of the most important things in life are not tangible and are invisible such as love and hate. Such things can’t be measured or seen. So to the Neshama, that we are all aware that it exists, yet it is something that can’t be weighed or quantified and therefore we must develop a sensitivity to the things that we can’t see but nonetheless have to have an awareness of it.
Never Give Up
In the end Parshas Vayeilech, Moshe says the following:
כי אנכי ידעתי את מריך ואת ערפך הקשה הן בעודני חי עמכם היום ממרים היתם עם יקוק ואף כי אחרי מותי, כי ידעתי אחרי מותי כי השחת תשחתון וסרתם מן הדרך אשר צויתי אתכם וקראת אתכם הרעה באחרית הימים כי תעשו את הרע בעיני יקוק להכעיסו במעשה ידיכם. (לא, כז כט)
Moshe Rabbeinu was very hesitant to take on the leadership of the Jewish people as he said הן לא יאמינו לי, to which Hashem had to convince him that גם בך יאמינו לעולם that they’ll trust you. But if you follow the history of what went on, Moshe was pretty right as there was Korach, then the Meraglim, and it was one thing after the next. Now in the above Psukim, it seems like Moshe Rabbeinu is summing up his tenure as a total failure. He says that it was bad, it is bad, and that it’s going to get even worse. Therefore it sounds very pessimistic and angry. But why is he saying this now and why does he sound so angry? What is he really trying to say now?
Really the message that Moshe is trying to convey is that although it was terrible, I never gave up and I continued. Once he committed to this mission with all the hardships, he never gave up. Therefore, optimism is a tremendous thing, but it needs to be balanced with realism. A person has to hope for the best and expect the worst. Because if not, then a person will be crushed when he experiences setbacks. Moshe is expressing to the Jews that there have been many setbacks and times that they could have given up, but nevertheless they got until there and they are only going to continue and go further. Entering Eretz Yisrael is going to be a tremendous achievement but afterwards there will be setbacks. But, they must never give up because this is something that will take generations and generations until we perfect the model. It’s not something that happens overnight.
This is an important reading to be read in the ימי התשובה because although not everyone is a leader of the Jewish people, but he is a leader of his own life. And people may expect immediate and complete change in their lives and if they don’t experience that, they give up. However, if they would understand that it requires multiple tries and with every time they should make some improvement and that they shouldn’t be crushed when things go sour. Nothing gets lost and each effort adds up to something and in the end we will reach the עולם התיקון and be in a different place. Knowing and expecting the setbacks is very important not only for Moshe Rabbeinu but for every individual leading his own life, he must recognize the stubbornness within himself, as we are an עם קשי עורף. But if he doesn’t give up, then he will go very far for like how far Moshe Rabbeinu got the Jewish People. (Similarly, as they say in the name of Winston Churchill, the definition of success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.)
If a person doesn’t give up, then he will go very far. As we see Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t give up and we see what he was able to accomplish with the Jewish people. Because in spite of all the setbacks, faults, and failures, still its מי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ. All the efforts added up in the end and created a people like no other.
Klalos Next to Nitzavim
Rashi in the beginning of Parshas Nitzavim quotes the Medrash that explains why the קללות are next to Nitzavim:
ומדרש אגדה למה נסמכה פרשת אתם נצבים לקללות, לפי ששמעו ישראל מאה קללות חסר שתים, חוץ ממ"ט שבתורת כהנים, הוריקו פניהם ואמרו מי יוכל לעמוד באלו, התחיל משה לפייסם אתם נצבים היום, הרבה הכעסתם למקום ולא עשה אתכם כלייה והרי אתם קיימים לפניו(כט,יב)
According to this Medrash, the statement of Moshe Rabbeinu אתם נצבים היום is seemingly undermining and contradicting the idea of the קללות that even though we anger Hashem and error, we are still around and therefore we shouldn’t worry?
The answer is that Parshas Nitzavim qualifies the קללות. Only because the Jews were הוריקו פניהם was Hashem מרחם on them. When we reach a point where its לא יוכלו עמוד, then even when we anger Hashem, it will still be אתם נצבים היום. Only someone who is fearless and doesn’t worry from the תוכחה will have to worry about the eventuality of all the קללות.
The טור סימן תקפא writes how the Jews on Rosh Hashanah are different than others because Jews on Rosh Hashanah approach their judgement day with confidence, wear white clothing, get haircuts, eat and drink, and celebrate the day like a יום טוב because we are confident that Hashem will perform for us a miracle. The Bach asks if this is the case, then why don’t we wear בגדים מרוקמים וצבעי ארגמ. He answers that too much wouldn’t be good because then it wouldn’t be clear that we are fearful for the day of Judgement and then it’s not בטוח. The Rambam in Hilchos Yom Tov writes שבעת ימי הפסח ושמונת ימי החג עם שאר ימים טובים וכו' וחייב אדם להיות בהן שמח וכו'. The only other Yom Tov that wasn’t mentioned is Shavuos, yet the Rambam says שאר ימים טובים, in plural indicating that there is a Yom Tov with a חיוב שמחה besides for Shavuos. In the sefer משנת יעבץ written by ר בצלאל ז’ולטי, he is מדייק that the Rambam is including Rosh Hashana. Additionally, the Rambam in Hilchos Chanuka writes that we don’t say Hallel on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur because they are not ימי שמחה יתירה. So we see that they are ימי שמחה, just not יתירה.
On Rosh Hashanah, we are celebrating the creation of man. Now even though we say נח לו לאדם שלא נברא משנברא, life is not about being comfortable but it’s nonetheless good. And we are celebrating the fact that Hashem is confident in us to carry out this mission and that we are capable of carrying it out. It’s a celebration of Human Responsibility.
It’s clear from here that the יראת הדין וחרדת המשפט are the cause for the שמחה on Rosh Hashanah because only then are we confident that Hashem will perform a miracle or us. Just like its only אתם נצבים היום כולכם for those that are פניהם מוריקים ומתייראים שלא יכלו לעמוד. It’s a balance between hope and despair.
The Ramban in the beginning of Sefer Devarim describes what the purpose of Mishneh Torah is and he ends with the following:
וטרם שיתחיל בביאור התור' התחיל להוכיחם ולהזכיר להם עונותיה' כמה ימרוהו במדבר וכמה שהתנהג עמהם הקדוש ברוך הוא במדת רחמי' וזה להודיע חסדיו עמה' ועוד שיוכחו בדבריו שלא יחזירו לקלקולם פן יספו בכל חטאתם ולחזק לבם בהודיעו אותם כי במדת רחמי' יתנהג עמה' לעולם שלא יאמר אדם לא נוכל לרשת את הארץ כי אין אדם אשר לא יחטא ומיד תהיה מדת הדין מתוחה כנגדנו ונאבד ולכן הודיעם משה רבינו כי הקדוש ברוך הוא רחמן מלא רחמים כי הסליחה והמחילה ממנו ית' סיוע ועזר לבני אדם בעבודתו וכענין שאמר הכתוב כי עמך הסליחה למען תורא.
It’s really a message of rebuke together with hope that a person shouldn’t think being that sin is impossible, what’s the point. But rather Moshe was telling Klal Yisrael that Hakadosh Boruch Hu is a מלא רחמים and there is the opportunity for סליחה ומחילה.
The Ramban ends with the Pasuk in Tehilim כי עמך הסליחה למען תורא. The question is how is סליחה meant to bring about fear, on the contrary, when we know that we can be forgiven, it can undermine the fear?
Rashi and the Radak explain the Pasuk למען תורא that only Hashem has סליחה and a person shouldn’t turn to anyone else for סליחה except to Hashem. But it’s difficult to understand because who else would have the ability to give forgiveness.
The Ibn Ezra says the following:
הטעם כאשר תסלח לעוני ישמעו חטאים וישובו גם הם ויניחו חטאם ואם לא תסלח לא ייראוך ויעשו חפצם ככל אות נפשם
Only because Hashem forgives is a person able to leave his sins. But if there wouldn’t be forgiveness, then he wouldn’t fear Hashem and he would continue doing everything and anything that he desires. Therefore, forgiveness is for the sake of fear because only by having that סליחה can there be ירא.
The Pasuk in Vayikra says that a Korban need to have salt on it. Why is it that Korbanos need to have salt on them? Salt is usually to preserve food, but here we are burning it here and now and therefore what is the point of putting it here?
The Daas Zkeinim Mbalei Hatosfos say the following:
לפי שהוא דבר המתקיים להודיע כי הקרבנות ברית לעולם לכפרה ולא לצורך הקדוש ברוך הוא שהרי אין לפניו לא אכילה ולא שתייה אלא לזכו' בהם את ישראל כי כשאדם חוטא ומקריב קרבן ומתכפר לו ויודע שהוא נקי מחטאו הוא נזהר אחרי כן מלחטוא ומלהיות עוד מלוכלך בעבירו' אבל אם לא היה מתכפר היה מוסיף לחטוא כמו שאחז"ל כיון שעבר אדם עבירה ושנה בה הותרה לו הותרה לו ס"ד אלא נעשית לו כהיתר. משל לאדם שבגדיו צואים אינו משמרן מן הטיט אבל אדם שבגדיו נקיים ויפים משמרן מכל טינוף ועל זה אמר שלמה בכל עת יהיו בגדיך לבנים
The reason we put the salt is because we are highlighting that Korbanos is not just about removing sin because that’s just temporary. Rather Korbanos are about removing sin and enabling the person to continue in Avodas Hashem. Therefore, we apply salt because it’s a דבר המתקיים, and the idea is that Korbanos with the salt are meant to sustain the person moving forward. Korbanos are not just about erasing the past but its about giving the ability to build a future.
This is a similar idea to what the Ibn Ezra explained. The purpose of Korbanos is not for Hakadosh Boruch Hu rather they are for Klal Yisrael and the salt which is a דבר המתקיים is to tell us that Korbanos are a ברית for כפרה. When a person does an Aveirah and brings a Korban and knows he’s been cleansed from sin, then he will be more careful to remain clean and not to sin again. However, if there wouldn’t be כפרה, then he would continue to sin. If a person’s clothing are dirty, then he doesn’t feel the need to prevent further dirt from making him even dirtier. But if he has clean clothing, then he will be careful to not get dirty from anything. כפרה is not only to fix the past and get rid of a person’s sins, but rather it’s for the future in order to help him stay sin free.
Reb Akiva in the Mishna in the end of Yoma says מקוה ישראל ה' מה מקוה וכו' so we see that מקוה is hope and hope is purifying because without hope a person would not have the incentive to purify himself and he wouldn’t take the initiative to do so.
Confident after hearing The Klalos
The Psukim in Nitzavim say as follows:
פן יש בכם איש או אשה או משפחה או שבט אשר לבבו פנה היום מעם יקוק אלהינו ללכת לעבד את אלהי הגוים ההם פן יש בכם שרש פרה ראש ולענה: והיה בשמעו את דברי האלה הזאת והתברך בלבבו לאמר שלום יהיה לי כי בשררות לבי אלך למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה (כט, יז-יח)
The simple explanation of these Psukim, because the Pasuk is referring to a שרש פרה ראש ולענה-root flourishing with gall and wormwood, is that he’s not such a good person even before he hears the קללות. And then when he hears the קללות, he’ll be confident and be והתברך בלבבו? Why should that be?
On the words והתברך בלבבו, the Targum Yonason says ויתייאש בלביה. He explains the word והתברך to mean יאוש, meaning that the heart is bent over. Like it say ויברך את הגמלים, meaning kneeling. So really this person is not confident rather once he hears the קללות, he experiences despair. When a person is מתיאש that will push him away. He won’t engage with Hashem because of the fear, rather the fear will overwhelm him, push him away, and he’ll throw in the towel because he can’t live up to these expectations and therefore he’s בשררות לבי אלך.
The Gemara in Sanhedrin 76b says והמחזיר אבידה לנכרי - עליו הכתוב אומר למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה. Rashi explains the reason the נכרי is referred to a הרוה and the ישראל is the צמאה as follows: נכרים ששבעים ואינן צמאין ליוצרם, צמאה - זו כנסת ישראל שצמאה ותאיבה ליראת יוצרה ולקיים מצותיו.
We see from here that in the context of talking about such a person who is שרש פרה ראש ולענה, the lowest of the low, nonetheless once he hears the קללות, he is brought to despair. As a result, his real inner intentions are revealed and uncapped and therefore he is still referred to in the Pasuk as a צמאה and not a רוה.
The Chidushe Harim says that Roshei Teivos of שרש פרה ראש ולענה is שופר. According to everything that was said above, there is a deeper שורש, of despair, and when we blow the Shofer, we are digging into the real me. The real me is someone who is שצמאה ותאיבה ליראת יוצרה.
Unity without Uniformity
The Pasuk in the beginning of Nitzavim says אתם נצבים היום כלכם לפני יקוק אלהיכם ראשיכם שבטיכם זקניכם ושטריכם כל איש ישראל. It starts with כולכם, everyone, then goes ahead and individualizes and talks about how there are people with different stripes and different types, and then concludes כל איש ישראל, going back to everyone.
The message is that it’s important to stand untied, that’s the אתם נצבים היום כלכם. However not in a way that the differences are erased. Because there must be different types and we must recognize and acknowledge that there are different types of people and we aren’t all the same. Unity does not mean uniformity. Therefore the כל איש ישראל is accomplished by not ignoring the differences among people, but by embracing the different types.
It says in seforim, in the פענח רזא and others that אתם נצבים היום alludes to Rosh Hashanah. The Zohar says that the word היום plain refers to Rosh Hashanah. The idea is that when we come to Rosh Hashanah, it’s important that we stand united but recognize that not everyone is the same.
5779
Nitzavim As The Break
The Gemara in מגילה דף לא ע"ב says that Ezra established that we should read the קללות in Vayikra before Shavuos and the קללות of Devarim before Rosh Hashanah כדי שתכלה שנה וקללותיה. It’s not merely because we finish the torah once a year that the קללות fall out near Rosh Hashanah rather its part of the Takana of Ezra, and even בני מערבא who competed the Torah in three years would read the קללות around Rosh Hashanah being it’s relevant for the time period.
However, the way it comes out, Nitzavim falls out between the קללות which are read in כי תבא and Rosh Hashanah. It would seem that it’s close enough to fulfil the request of having the קללות read next to Rosh Hashanah, and having a break of one Shabbos is fine. But Tosfos in Megilah brings from the Beis Medrash of Reb Nissim Gaon that ask why is Nitzavim and Vayelech split up when there are two שבתות before סוכות as opposed מטות ומסעי which are longer in which case it would be possible to have the קללות read the Shabbos right before Rosh Hashanah? Being that it’s seemingly Bdieved to have Nitzavim read in between the קללות and Rosh Hashanah as a result of our schedule, the above solution would seem to be more correct?
In general, there is a difference between most double Parshiyos such as Matos and Masei and Nitzavim and Vayelech. Matos and Masei are really two separate Parshiyos which are sometimes read together while Nitzavim and Vayelech which are really one Parshah, just they are broken up sometimes. There are a few proofs to this idea. The Zohar in Parshas Vayakel says that there are ג"ן פרשיות but the way we have it, there are really fifty four. The Chidah writes that Nitzavim and Vayelech are considered on Parshah. In addition, old Chumashim would write ע' פסוקים at the end of Vayelech which is the total for Nitzavim and Vayelech. Also, the טור או"ח תכח writes that the Siman for Vayelech is פתבג המלך. The idea is that when Rosh Hashanah, which is המלך, falls out on Monday and Tuesday (בג), then פת because we are פותתין נצבים וילך. This indicates that really they are one and they need to be split. Lastly, the Chinuch brings the Mitzvah of הקהל in Vayelech even though the Psukim are mentioned in Nitzavim. This makes the question even stronger as to why we split up Nitzavim and Vayelech and not Matos and Masei.
There could be a נפק"מ להלכה in regards to whether Nitzavim Vayelech is one Parshah that gets split up or if it’s two separate Parshiyos that are put together. The Halacha is, as said by the Rema in the name of the Ohr Zaruah, that a Tzibbur which misses reading an entire Parshah could make it up the following week. (The question came up because there was a Machlokes in the Shul and it dragged out and they ended up not having enough time to read). However, if the Parshah that was missed was a double Parshah such as Matos Masei, then it can’t be made up because can read three Parshiyos. But if you say that really Nitzavim Vayelech is one Parshah, then even if the Tzibbur missed the week the read Nitzavim Vayelech, they would still be able to make it up the following week, as opposed to if they were considered two separate Parshiyos which are put together.
Tosfos answers the following:
לכך נראה לי הטעם שאנו מחלקים אותן לפי שאנו רוצים להפסיק ולקרות שבת אחת קודם ר"ה בפרשה שלא תהא מדברת בקללות כלל שלא להסמיך הקללות לר"ה עכ"ל.
It is clear from Tosfos that to have Nitzavim as a break between the קללות and Rosh Hashanah is not בדיעבד rather it’s very much intentional. How could this be explained?
The reason to read the קללות before Rosh Hashanah כדי שתכלה השנה וקללותיה is not because we don’t want to read the קללות after Rosh Hashanah, at the start of the New Year. Because if not for this Takana, in מערבא, they would only read the קללות once every three year before Rosh Hashanah. It must be that the reading of the קללות before Rosh Hashanah has a purpose that we specifically want to end the year off with the קללות. The reason is becasuse through the hearing of the קללות, it creates a fear for the judgement that awaits us on Rosh Hashanah. This being the case, how could it be that it is better to have a הפסק between the קללות and Rosh Hashanah if the entire intention of the Takana was to enter into Rosh Hashanah with that fear?
The Takana of Ezra was that the קללות were actually read the Shabbos before Rosh Hashanah. The fear of the קללות are necessary, but at the same time there needs to be a feeling of hope. A feeling that we can correct everything we did wrong. The goal of the קללות is not to bring us to a point where we give up and throw in the towel but rather to present us with the harsh realities of life in order that we should correct our ways and enter Rosh Hashanah in that spirit. But it would seem with the ירידות הדורות that the חכמים realized that entering Rosh Hashanah immediately after reading the קללות wouldn’t allow us to observe Rosh Hashanah the way it should be. The later generations couldn’t handle reading the קללות and going straight into Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, they felt we needed a break with a Shabbos between the קללות and Rosh Hashanah in order that we should be able to observe Rosh Hashanah properly with שמחה as the מצות היום requires. The break would allow us to balance the sense of fear that one must have going into Rosh Hashanah but at the same time keep that sense of hope for renewal alive.
Rashi in the beginning of the Parshah quotes the Medrash that explains why the קללות are next to Nitzavim:
ומדרש אגדה למה נסמכה פרשת אתם נצבים לקללות, לפי ששמעו ישראל מאה קללות חסר שתים, חוץ ממ"ט שבתורת כהנים, הוריקו פניהם ואמרו מי יוכל לעמוד באלו, התחיל משה לפייסם אתם נצבים היום, הרבה הכעסתם למקום ולא עשה אתכם כלייה והרי אתם קיימים לפניו(כט,יב)
According to this Medrash, Parshas Nitzavim is not a random break rather it is very much connected to the קללות. But it seems to undermine and contradict the idea of the קללות that even though we anger Hashem and error, we are still around and therefore we shouldn’t worry? The answer is that Parshas Nitzavim qualifies the קללות. Only because the Jews were הוריקו פניהם was Hashem מרחם on them. When we reach a point where its לא יוכלו עמוד, then even when we anger Hashem, it will still be אתם נצבים היום. Only someone who is fearless and doesn’t worry from the תוכחה will have to worry about the eventuality of all the קללות.
The טור סימן תקפא writes how the Jews on Rosh Hashanah are different than others because Jews on Rosh Hashanah approach their judgement day with confidence, wear white clothing, get haircuts, eat and drink, and celebrate the day like a יום טוב because we are confident that Hashem will perform for us a miracle. The Bach asks if this is the case, then why don’t we wear בגדים מרוקמים וצבעי ארגמ. He answers that too much wouldn’t be good because then it wouldn’t be clear that we are fearful for the day of Judgement and then it’s not בטוח. It’s clear from here that the יראת הדין וחרדת המשפט are the cause for the שמחה on Rosh Hashanah because only then are we confident that Hashem will perform a miracle or us. Just like its only אתם נצבים היום כולכם for those that are פניהם מוריקים ומתייראים שלא יכלו לעמוד.
According to all this, having Nitzavim in between the קללות and Rosh Hashanah is not a הפסק which disturbs the Takana of Ezra of having the קללות read before Rosh Hashanah, rather it’s the proper order as Nitzavim qualifies the קללות.