Moshe is finally ready. He is ready to complete the final act of his leadership before handing over the reins to Yehoshua who will ultimately bring the Jewish people into the land of Israel. What is that final act? He establishes the final covenant between Hashem and the Jewish people.
אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
You are all standing today before Hashem, your God, all the heads of your tribes, your elders, and the heads of the households of the entire Jewish people. - Devarim 29:9
Moshe gathers his entire nation including the lay people and the children to be inducted into a pact together with Hashem. There is no one missing. No one overslept their alarm, had something more urgent to attend to or simply couldn’t be bothered. Every single person was present, standing, facing Moshe as he called upon the Jewish people to fully accept Hashem as their God for themselves and all generations thereafter.
Moshe has always conducted himself intentionally. Every act thought out, designed and executed with pristine precision. Here, in his final moments on earth, why does he gather all the people to stand before him? Is the Torah simply being poetic or is there greater significance?
The Sifrei Devarim, one of the midrashic commentaries on the book of Devarim, explains that this act of standing up reflects a characteristic that permeates throughout all of our Jewish heroes beginning from Yehoshua throughout Tanach handed over through Ezra and then to Rabbi Akiva and his students. Moshe’s goal in this week’s parshiot of Nitzvaim and Vayeilech was to strengthen the resolve and dedication to Torah learning within each of the members of the Jewish people.
Moshe was worried that if one member forgot Torah that it would have a domino effect and, after many generations, cease to exist altogether. It is for this reason that the Torah makes explicit mention of who was present to hear Moshe’s overture and for his message to ring true for all future generations.
On the heels of the beginning of Selichot, the special prayers we add in preparation for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, we are reminded of the relationship that exists between us and Hashem. This relationship represents the core of who we are as a people, what we strive to accomplish and, ultimately, what we hope to share with our children.
Moshe provided us with a roadmap. As adults, our relationship with Hashem is nurtured through our relationship with Torah and the manner in which it guides our lives. For our children, our role is to nurture that relationship. Are we talking about Torah with our children? Do our tables throughout the week and Shabbat include discussions about Hashem, His mitzvot and how we can bring them to light? Do our children see the adults in our households work at their relationships with Hashem and Torah?
There is no one way to bring Hashem, Torah and the covenant that Moshe bound us to into our homes and our lives. One thing rings true - אִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתָי (Pirkei Avot 1:14). If not now, then when?