Stop and go

There are certain moments in life that make us stop and think. A birthday, a new job, the beginning of a school year, or simply realizing that another year has passed can give us a reason to take stock. We think about where we are, what matters to us, and what we want to do differently. That pause has value. It gives us a chance to step back from the routine and see our lives with a little more clarity.

That’s part of what makes this time of year so meaningful. Rosh Hashanah arrives with a built-in opportunity to stop and reflect. We look back at the year that passed and think about the year ahead. We ask ourselves what we want to carry with us and what we want to leave behind.

The Torah gives us an interesting way to think about that process. The portion traditionally read before Rosh Hashanah is Nitzavim, which means “standing.” It begins with the words, “You are standing today, all of you together.” The timing is no coincidence. Chassidic teaching connects this image of the Jewish people standing together with Rosh Hashanah, when we recognize G-d as King.

There’s another detail that makes the message even more interesting. Nitzavim doesn’t end the story. It is followed by Vayelech, which means “and he went.” The two portions, read together as one this year, put two very different actions next to each other. First, we stand. Then, we go.

That describes something important about personal change. We need time to stop and think, but reflection has to lead somewhere. A person can spend a lot of time thinking about becoming a better person without ever changing anything. At some point, we have to take what we’ve learned about ourselves and put it into practice.

The opening of Nitzavim adds another dimension. The Torah says that the entire Jewish people are standing together, then describes people with very different roles and responsibilities. There are leaders and elders, workers and ordinary members of the community. They aren’t identical, yet they all stand together.

That picture is especially relevant today. Jewish communities include people with very different backgrounds and levels of connection. Some spend every Shabbat in synagogue, while others may walk through the doors only on Rosh Hashanah. We each have our own place, but we remain connected to the same people and the same story.

There’s a story about Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad, that captures this idea. During Yom Kippur, he was deeply involved in his prayers when he suddenly left the synagogue. He walked to a home at the edge of town, where a Jewish woman who had recently given birth was alone and needed food. Rabbi Schneur Zalman prepared something for her himself.

The story isn’t really about choosing between prayer and helping another person. It’s about what happens when genuine spiritual awareness makes us more sensitive to the person standing in front of us. Rabbi Schneur Zalman was in the middle of the holiest day of the year, yet he was aware that someone else needed his help.

That’s the message from having Nitzavim and Vayelech together. Rosh Hashanah gives us a chance to stand still. We can think about the year that passed and the person we want to be in the year ahead. Then comes the harder part. We have to get up and take that first step.

First we stand together, then we go forward together. That’s a pretty good way to begin a new year.