This week’s parsha begins with Moshe telling Bnei Yisrael:
“אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל: טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ”
“You stand today, all of you, before Hashem your G-d: your heads, your tribes, your elders, your officers, and every Israelite man; your young ones, your wives, the stranger in your gate; from your woodchopper to your water-drawer” (Devarim 29:9-10).
We know that each and every word in the Torah is deliberate and accounted for and so many commentators wonder why the Torah says “all of you.” Doesn’t the word ״אַתֶּם״— “you” automatically include “all of you?” What is the message Hashem is giving us through what seems to be superfluous language?
The Chizkuni explains that it means all of Bnei Yisrael, regardless of social standing in the community, are equally standing facing Hashem, in order to enter into the new covenant. The language of the Torah is teaching us that each and every person is valued, from the chief of the woodchoppers to the lowliest of the water drawers.
This concept also comes up when Hashem counts Bnei Yisrael in Parshat Bamidbar. Hashem does not need to count us. He knows how many are present. Rather, Rashi explains that it is lashon chibah, the language of love. The message Hashem gives through His actions is that each and every person counts.
Lily Howard Scott, a highly acclaimed educational consultant in social emotional learning, discusses how this idea is also true to education. The fundamental building block at the beginning of any school year is to establish the understanding and recognition that every child in the classroom matters and every child is a vital part of the classroom community. When each student, starting even in nursery school, feels a sense of belonging, that is when learning and growth can happen. Using language like “What I bring to the classroom community is…” can be empowering at any age and give students increased feelings of self worth and a sense of purpose.
As adults, this same idea holds true. In all life’s domains one can be most successful when there is an environment where there are mutual feelings of safety, security and respect. Scott explains that the more threatened or stressed we feel, the less access we have to the essential part of
our brain, the cortex. How do people create feelings of belonging? Similar to a classroom, it is essential that we communicate, even with very explicit language, why each person matters and what unique trait each person brings. This feeling is also transmitted powerfully through our actions. Greeting each person with a smile and making eye contact can change someone’s day. It can give people the security of belonging and encourage them to spread that kindness to others.
I will never forget a story from over 20 years ago. I was checking in with a family the first night of school. I remember that when I called the child’s mom, she said that Josh came off the bus, saying “I know my teacher loves me.” His mom, with a curious laugh, said, “Really, how do you know this, Josh?” Josh confidently answered, “Well, she did not stop smiling at me all day.” I was so struck how much a small act could make such a huge difference. Smiling is free and the rewards are priceless. “All of us” means to recognize all of us. Make that eye contact and give that smile. Articulate that the child or adult matters and the reasons why — the results will be incredible.
However, “all of you” can also have another very meaningful connotation. Rabbi Shlomo Katz explains that that the word “כֻּלְּכֶם” does not just refer to all of Am Yisrael standing in unity before Hashem, but also to every part of the individual; the resilient part of us that is like a woodchopper, never stopping to break down the trees/obstacles every step of the way, and the part of us that is like a water-drawer, more passively welcoming blessings into our world. The “all of you” is recognizing all aspects of ourselves that together come with us before Hashem into this covenant.
This last parsha that we read before Rosh Hashanah perhaps is actually giving us both messages through the words “all of us.” On the one hand, it gives us a chance to reflect and to think about ourselves as individuals, our strengths and our areas that may need more work. It is a time of self-acceptance and forgiveness for maybe not always living up to the high standards we set for ourselves. We can recognize the beauty in progress and not the all-or-nothing limitations of perfection. Once we can empathically understand that about ourselves, we can then take it to another level and more deeply understand that in the people around us. We can graciously look to see how each person in our family and community, from the woodchoppers to the water-drawers and every combination in between, matters in a unique way. Ultimately, by combining these two ideas, we can understand that each and every one of us is part of something greater, a nation in which all people created in the image of God are valued and matter. May this year bring Am Yisrael closer to and more supportive of one another and may that help bring peace and tranquility during these challenging times.
Dr. Sarah Feit is the lower school principal and director of Special Services at Yavneh Academy in Paramus.
