Parsha Talk Nitzavim Vayelekh

This week is a double parashah, Nitzavim/Va-yelekh [Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30], but we didn't quite make it into Va-yelekh! We spent a fair amount of time on the opening verses of Nitzavim [29:9-14], especially verse 14, in considering who the people who were not standing with the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan were. We touched upon the classic verse Lo bashamayim hee [30:12] with nary a mention of the famous story about the Oven of Akhnai, which may be a first for us, or for rabbis anywhere!. And, we concluded with remarks about Rabbi Eliot Malomet's favorite verse in the Torah [30:19], where the Israelites have set before them the blessing and the curse, and are instructed to choose life, Together with Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky and Rabbi Barry Chesler this is this week's Parashah Talk. Give a listen!