Standing Firm in Covenant

 In this devar from our member Rabbi Paul Bloom, we take a deeper look at the word that gives its name to this week's parashah -- Nitzavim.

This week’s parashah, Nitzavim, opens with a powerful scene (דברים כ״ט:ט׳):

אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם  

The Jewish people are summoned to accept upon themselves a final covenant before Moshe Rabbeinu’s passing. At first glance, the phrase “atem nitzavim” seems simple—“you are standing.” But the word נִצָּבִים carries a depth that goes far beyond the literal. In Lashon HaKodesh, לַעֲמוֹד does not mean merely “to stand.” It means to stand firm, with strength, courage, and faith. It is a word bound up with emunah—to take a position with inner conviction, even when facing opposition and uncertainty. We find this usage already at the Kriyat Yam Suf. When the nation stood trapped between the sea and the pursuing Egyptians, Moshe told them (שמות י״ד:י״ג):

הִתְיַצְּבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת־יְשׁוּעַת ה׳ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה לָכֶם הַיּוֹם  

Here, “hityatzvu” does not mean passive waiting; it means summoning inner faith and resolve, reporting for duty, ready to face what seems impossible.

We encounter the same imagery at Har Sinai (שמות י״ט:י״ז): 

ַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר

Chazal stress that they did not merely stand physically at the mountain’s base; they stood with reliability and readiness, in full commitment to accept the word of Hashem. In modern Hebrew, lehityatzev means “to report for duty.” That is the deeper sense of nitzavim: to stand ready, faithfully and firmly, despite the challenges.

This firmness of stance connects directly to the meaning of a brit, a covenant. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l often contrasted a contract with a covenant. A contract is utilitarian: I need you, you need me, so we bind ourselves in mutual interest. If either party fails, the contract dissolves. A covenant, by contrast, is not transactional but existential. It says: Whatever may come, we are bound together. It is enduring, resilient, unbreakable. That is why the Torah is built not on contracts, but on covenants.

The Covenant of Mutual Responsibility

What, then, is the nature of this covenant Moshe introduces in Nitzavim?

The Gemara (סוטה ל״ז ע״ב) teaches:

אמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא: מאי דכתיב (דברים כ״ט:כ״ח) הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ עַד־עוֹלָם? מלמד שלא נענשו ישראל על הנסתרות עד שעברו את הירדן. כיון שעברו את הירדן וקיבלו עליהם את השבועה בהר גריזים ובהר עיבל, נתחייבו על הנסתרות, שנאמר הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ עַד־עוֹלָם. מכאן אמרו: כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲרֵבִים זֶה בָּזֶה

In effect, Moshe’s final legacy is this: “I have given you the Torah. I have led you through the desert with the manna and the clouds of glory. My last wish is this: look after one another. Be responsible for each other.”

Rashi (שם) comments:

והנגלות לנו ולבנינו – לְבַעֵר הרע מקרבנו, ואם לא נעשה דין בהם – יענשו את הרבים. מכאן שכל ישראל ערבים זה בזה

The Maharal (Gur Aryeh, דברים כ״ט:כ״ח) explains that this covenant truly took effect only upon entering Eretz Yisrael, at Har Gerizim and Har Eival:

כי הערבות הזה אינו אלא בארץ, שישראל הם אומה אחת. וכשנכנסו לארץ ונתקבצו כולם, אז נעשו ערבים זה בזה

Thus, mutual responsibility is fully realized only when the Jewish people dwell together in their land. The covenant of solidarity is tied intrinsically to the covenant with the land.

The Five Covenants

To appreciate Nitzavim, we must see it in context. Chazal and later commentators describe five great covenants that shape the destiny of humanity and Israel.

1.         The Covenant with Noach –וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתָּכֶם (בראשית ט׳:י״א) :  The rainbow, the Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach, establishing a universal moral code for mankind.

2.         The Covenant with Avraham – בְּרִית מִילָה:  וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶיךָ וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ (בראשית  י״ז:ז׳)., demonstrating that an individual can enter into a personal, eternal relationship with Hashem.

3.         The Covenant at Sinai – “וַיִּכָּרֶת בְּרִית עִם הָעָם (שמות כ״ד:ח׳) :  The national covenant, when Israel collectively accepted the Torah and became a people bound to Hashem.

4.         The Covenant in Arvot Moav – (דברים כ״ח–כ״ט):  Affirming that the fate of Israel is not natural but spiritual. The Abarbanel calls this the Brit Eretz Yisrael, for it links our life in the Land to our spiritual state.

5.         The Covenant of Nitzavim – ערבות הדדית, mutual responsibility. Beyond being members of humanity, beyond individual and national connection to Hashem, beyond recognizing that our history is spiritually guided—we are also responsible for one another.

Judgment and Renewal

On Rosh Hashanah, we stand before Hashem in judgment on all five levels:

●          As members of humanity, accountable to the universal moral law.

●          As individuals, connected to Hashem through brit milah and personal faith.

●          As a nation, committed to Torah and mitzvot.

●          As a people tied to Eretz Yisrael, whose destiny depends on our spiritual standing.

●          And as a community, responsible for one another’s welfare and growth.

The covenant of Nitzavim teaches us that our greatness is not only in our personal achievements but in how we lift each other up, build families, communities, and strengthen Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael.

As we approach the new year, may we merit to stand firm—nitzavim—with courage, faith, and unity. And may this year bring ברכה, גאולה, and ישועה to all of כלל ישראל.