24 Sep LIVING MONUMENTS

This week, the final Shabbos of 5784, we
read parshas Nitzavim and Vayeilech.
Nitzavim opens, “Atem nitzavim hayom
kulchem…, You (Bnei Yisroel) are
standing together today…”
Rashi teaches that hayom, this day, was
the last day of Moshe’s life. On that day,
he assembled the entire nation, men,
women and children. They were from all
different walks of life, all brought
together to initiate them into the covenant
of HaShem.
Morah Kahn was one of my eighth grade
teachers. I confess, I don’t remember all
of her teachings. However, her message
on the opening of parshas Nitzavim was
so powerful, that decades later it remains
with me.
Morah Kahn, a Holocaust survivor, spoke
of her Shabbos Nitzavim in a DP camp.
She told of a rov who addressed the
survivors with soul-stirring words. He

began with the words Atem nitzavim.
“You are standing here today. Despite all
of the pain and suffering, despite the
unspeakable horrors we have experienced,
we have endured. We have all lost parents,
children, siblings, extended family,
neighbors and friends. Yet, we are
nitzavim, we are standing strong.”
With his voice quivering and tears in his
eyes, the rov continued. “The parsha of
Ki Savo followed by Nitzavim were part
of Moshe’s final message to Klal Yisroel.
If so, one could suggest that Nitzavim
should begin with the word v’atem…,
and you… However, the letter vav is
absent.” The gematria, numerical value,
of vav is six. With great emotion, he cried
out that the missing vav represents the
missing six million kedoshim. Now, it is
up to the survivors to keep their memories
alive and to carry forward the torch of
Torah and Yiddishkeit.
This message of hope and optimism can
also be gleaned from Rashi’s teaching on
the word hayom in the next pasuk.
Hayom, although the day grows dark,

light shines once again. So too,
HaShem will make light for you,
and for future generations.
The word nitzavim is rarely used
in Tanach. More often, the word
omdim is used to describe
standing. We know that each word
in the Torah is there for a reason.
Each word comes with its own
teaching. Nitzavim shares a
common root with the word
matzeiva, a monument, a pillar.
No matter what befalls our people,
we don’t break. We are resilient
and strong. Planted firmly into the
ground, like an everlasting monument.
Nitzavim connotes permanence, with
commitment and conviction.
In my mother’s first book, The Jewish
Soul on Fire, written over forty years ago,
she writes how we can become living
monuments for the lives lost.
“After the Holocaust, we, the survivors
(and in a sense, we are all survivors),
have a sacred mission to live our lives in
a way that through us, those who
perished would once again find life. We
are not a nation that believes in
memorials of stone. Ours is the awesome
task of raising sons and daughters who,
imbued with faith, will become living
memorials for those who are no more.
We must kindle the Sabbath lights, not
only for ourselves, but for the millions
of mothers who are no longer able to do
so. We must study Torah, not only for
ourselves, but for those magnificent
young men who were cut down in their
youth before they could ever finish
singing G-d’s songs.
We must pronounce prayers, not only
for ourselves, but for the beautiful little
children, who with their very last breaths
sanctified G-d’s name and pronounced a
blessing. In the end, that is the only
meaningful memoriam that we can offer
a nation…”
This year, we have lived through the
Holocaust of October 7. October 7 has
changed us. So many who were
previously not committed to their
Judaism became proud Jews. Atem
nitzavim….. We are standing strong
with our people. We all want to do
something. So many want to learn more
about their heritage, their faith, their
G-d. To learn about Shabbos, kashrus,

and building a Jewish home. For others, it
means doing more. More davening, more
Tehillim, more learning, more tzedaka.
To take on extra mitzvos as a merit for
our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel,
for those who remain hostage, for the
bereaved families, for so many young
men and women who have been injured,
and for the displaced families.
Parshas Nitzavim is always read on the
Shabbos before Rosh HaShanah. The
Baal Shem Tov teaches that atem nitzavim
hayom, you are standing today refers to
Rosh HaShanah, the day we all stand in
awe before HaShem. Chodesh Elul is a

month of introspection and soul-
searching. A time to make a cheshbon

hanefesh, an accounting of one’s soul. To
sit down and take an inventory of our life.
To ask ourselves, what can I improve,
what can I fix. What trait can I work on,
what mitzva can I elevate.
We may think it’s impossible. We say I
can’t do it… I tried… it doesn’t work. We
look at the world around us and say that
the days are dark… when will HaShem
shine that light once again.
The words of the parsha give us much
needed hope and encouragement. “For
the mitzva (of teshuva) isn’t hidden from
you… and it isn’t far away. It is not in the
heaven, not across the sea. Rather, it is
very close to you…” (Devarim 30:11-14)
Reach out to HaShem. When we connect
to Him, we become imbued with emunah
and bitachon, and discover strength we
never knew we had.
We can do it. One small change can make
a big difference. Who knows which
mitzva will be the one to tip the scales
and bring the blessings of health,
prosperity, nachas, peace and harmony to
ourselves, our loved ones and all of Am
Yisroel.