Parashat Nisavim- Focusing on Today
In the opening verse of Parashat Nisavim, Moshe announces to Beneh Yisrael, "You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem your God!"
Moshe’s proclamation conveys a critical lesson about religious life generally, and about repentance, in particular. Namely, a person must "stand before God" with his focus directed onto "today," the present. We must not focus too heavily on the future, or on the past.
In treating an alcoholic, for example, it would be unreasonable to simply demand of him that he never drink wine ever again for the rest of his life. A person struggling with an addiction cannot possibly be expected to make a permanent commitment to abstain. Rather, he should be told to recover one day at a time, endeavoring to avoid wine today, without worrying too much what will happen tomorrow.
Translating this concept into the realm of Torah observance, it would be unreasonable and ineffective to tell oneself that he will not speak any Lashon Ha’ra (negative speech about other people) as long as he lives. This is not the proper approach to self-improvement. A person should instead tell himself that "today" he will "stand before Hashem," he will fulfill his religious responsibilities. He should worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. In the meantime, he should concentrate on today’s challenges and commit himself to doing what is expected of him today.
By the same token, one must not allow the baggage of the past to divert his attention to the present. Just as one shouldn’t worry excessively about tomorrow’s challenges, similarly, he must avoid preoccupation with the past. Often, the biggest impediment to Teshuba and spiritual growth is the awareness of one’s tainted record. When a person contemplates repentance, the Yeser Ha’ra (evil inclination) will often thwart his attempts by saying, "Do you think God wants your Misvot? After all you’ve done, is there any chance of earning God’s favor? It’s too late; you’ve always been a sinner, and you’ll always be a sinner!"
Moshe therefore reminds us in this verse that we must stand before God "today," regardless of what we had done in the past. No sin committed in the past should hinder our efforts to serve God in the present. What counts is the commitment we make today, not what we did yesterday.
As we prepare for the High Holiday season and contemplate Teshuba, it is easy to become intimidated and discouraged. Perhaps our greatest source of encouragement is this critical message of "today" – the importance to focus our attention on today’s challenges and responsibilities, rather than worrying about the challenges of tomorrow or about yesterday’s mistakes.
