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Returning, Together With Hashem

A Relevant Lesson from a Grammatical Anomaly

Asher Lytton

In Moshe’s concluding speech to the people, which makes up the bulk of the weekly Torah readings leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, he tells Bnei Yisrael that if they do not follow Hashem’s commandments, He will punish them, and exile them to the four corners of the Earth. Moshe then continues to explain that, while we sit in exile, we will remember Hashem and repent. If we do teshuva and return sincerely to Hashem with all of our hearts, then Hashem will return us to the land of Israel. 

In Devarim 30:3, the Torah tells us that if we return to Hashem, He will “return [us] from captivity.” Rashi notices that the verse uses the word “shav” (which grammatically indicates the simple, direct form of the word “return”) instead of “heishiv” (which would mean that He caused something else to return). Rashi explains that our Rabbis learn two things from this: While we are exiled, the Shechinah — G-d’s Presenceis also exiled, and in addition to returning us, Hashem returns with us; and the day of return will be so difficult that Hashem will have to individually take each of us by the hand, and lead us back to Israel.

“Hashem yearns for the day we will repent, and when that day comes, he will swoop in and take each one of us, individually by the hand and guide us back home. “

The commonality of these two interpretations is a shared journey. As we suffer in exile, the Shechinah also sits in exile and longs for return. Hashem yearns for the day we will repent, and when that day comes, he will swoop in and take each one of us, individually by the hand and guide us back home; He will help us along the way. This vision of a shared goal, a vision of Hashem holding our hand, is a powerful vision of return.

At this time of year, in the transition between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it is important for us to remember we cannot just sit back and wait to be returned. Hashem needs us to fully return to him before he can lead us back. We have to try to be better people, fix ourselves and return ourselves to Hashem.

However, sometimes in life, it is important to remember that it does not all rest on you. Just as Hashem waits for us, we rely fully on him. In the end, He is the one with the power to bring us together. He is with us in exile and at our side when we return. He just needs to know that we are ready for it, and he will hold our hand and guide us, as we stumble towards redemption.

One Comment

  1. Elizabeth Anisfeld October 5, 2020

    What a beautiful image! Thanks for presenting this to us.

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