You are all standing this day before the Lord, your God the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel, your young children, your women, and your convert who is within your camp both your woodcutters and your water drawers, that you may enter the covenant of the Lord, your God, and His oath, which the Lord, your God, is making with you this day. (29: 9-11)
Most commentaries ask since the Posuk says You are all standing this day before the Lord, this means that everyone is standing before Hashem. why does the Posuk have to list each type of person: the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, your young children, your women, and your convert? Another difficulty is, Why does the Posuk have to repeat again “every man of Israel”, when the Posuk states already “You are all standing this day before the Lord”?
To understand our Pesukim we have to see a Gemarra (Rosh Hashanah 18a) ... The Mishna teaches: On Rosh Hashanah all creatures pass before Him like a flock of sheep. The Gemara continues ... And they are all scanned in a single scan. The Posuk (Tehilim 33:15) states: "He who fashions their hearts alike, who considers all their deeds". This is interesting, since Hashem Scans the whole world in a single scan, Why does He judge each person separately “who considers all their deeds”?
The holy Arizal says a powerful insight. Hashem scan the whole world in a single scan. However, Hashem has mercy and in Rosh Hashanah. He sends a person the urge to do Teshuva, and if the person feels he wants to cry, that is a sign that Hashem is looking judge that person. If the person reacts and does teshuva then, Hashem judges him with his Teshuva, and would give a positive decree. Hence, this is a tremendous Chesed from Hashem.
Based on this we can understand our Posuk. We are talking on Rosh Hashanah, where Hashem is judging the whole world in one scan, and sees all the acts of the people in the world. That is why it says You are all standing this day before the Lord. This is the scanning of the whole world. However, Hashem has mercy and judges “the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, your young children, your women, and your convert”, each one separate, by instilling the urge to do Teshuvah and cry, to know that at that moment they are being judged, as Hashem wants them to do Teshuva and have a good decree.
Therefore, it states again “every man of Israel”, which means each person separate. Then the Torah concludes the reason for this is, that you may enter the covenant of Hashem which is repenting, and become connected again to Hashem. By doing this, Hashem would write you down in the Sefer Hachaim, the book of life, and a Kesiva ViChasima Tova.
We can go a bit deeper. This idea is also found in Sefer Baal Shem Tov. He brings the Zohar (Naso page 126): "Every day a voice goes forth and proclaims my children please do Teshuva." Asks the Baal Shem Tov, if the voice is intended so that people may hear it, then why don't we hear it, and if it is not so that we may hear it, then why does a voice go forth at all? And He explains that every Yid, in whatever situation he may be, experiences within him everyday a split second of an inner awakening of repentance during the day. This split second comes to a person through the voice that comes forth every day, and it is up to the person to implement this awakening of repentance and bring it to fruition.
According to this insight, the Posuk is saying: “You are all standing this day before the Lord” Thus the Posuk is referring to the words of the Baal Shem Tov. Not only on Rosh Hashanah, but everyday in a person’s lifetime, Hashem wants the person to do Teshuva, and lets out that Bas Kola, the voice of Hashem. Hashem is asking us to listen to His message and do Teshuva everyday. The Sefas Emes of Gur says that HaShem calls out to everyone. It is just that the Tzadikim are the only ones listening! the only one who was listening. Let us work towards a spiritual core and fulfil our spiritual role and potential in life. This voice is Hashem ‘calling out’ to every one of us. Let’s listen to the message, and we will be Zoche to become elevated and be closer to Hashem.
(Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
