This week’s Parashah, Parashat Nitzavim, is the continuation and aftermath of last week’s Tochachah. Bnei Yisrael are frightened about their future after hearing the horrible curses. Moshe Rabbeinu, therefore, gathers them on the final day of his life and comforts them, telling them they are “נצבים,” still standing before Hashem, and they haven’t been destroyed even after everything they did to anger Hashem (Rashi Devarim 29:12 s.v. והוא יהיה לך לאלקים). Moshe then proceeds to renew their covenant with Hashem, with a special emphasis on Avodah Zarah. Moshe Rabbeinu warns about the person who thinks he can worship Avodah Zarah without consequences because, ultimately, there will be consequences from Hashem. The Torah presents this person’s thought process: “והיה בשמעו את־דברי האלה הזאת והתברך בלבבו לאמר שלום יהיה־לי כי בשררות לבי אלך,” “And it will be that when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself in his heart, saying, ‘Peace will be with me, though I walk as my heart sees fit’” (ibid. 29:18). What does the Torah mean when it says peace will be with him?
There are two primary opinions in the Mefarshim about this meaning: Rashi and Ibn Ezra have one opinion, while the Ramban, Sforno, and Or HaChaim think differently. Rashi writes that the subject of the Pasuk believes he will still be blessed even though he goes against the curse’s warning and worships Avodah Zarah. Ibn Ezra mostly agrees and says that he thinks bad things only happen to others but not to him. Rashi and Ibn Ezra suggest that this person isn’t taking Hashem’s word seriously, so he almost attempts to call Hashem’s bluff, even though Hashem obviously never bluffs.
Ramban articulates a similar idea but then offers another: the Pasuk means that the person doesn’t even accept being part of the agreement with Hashem in the first place! The person thinks he can excuse himself from Hashem’s covenant with Bnei Yisrael and do whatever he wants. Sforno explains that at first, such a person accepts the covenant to receive the undeniable privilege Hashem grants the Jewish people. However, once he receives what he wants, he wants to cancel his agreement because he reasons the covenant was only lip service, but he never accepted it in his heart. Finally, Or HaChaim explains that this person tries to find a way out of the covenant by invoking up Gemara (Shavuot 26b), which says if someone makes a promise, their heart and mouth have to agree, and if they don’t, the promise is invalid. This person argues that in his heart, he never agreed, so he is not obligated to follow the Torah.
These Mefarshim all explain the Pasuk to mean that the person tries to extract himself from the covenant.
The person described in the Pasuk said what he was expected to say, but because he didn’t take the covenant seriously. In the end, he sinned, and Hashem olds him accountable. Or HaChaim’s explanation (a person needs to have the right intention in his words and heart) fits in perfectly with Eitan Katz’s famous song, Ki Karov, based on another Pasuk in this week’s Parashah, “כי־קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשתו,” “No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it” (30:14). To make progress, a person needs to be committed to everything they do, in both their mouth and their heart. As Rosh HaShanah approaches, we can all take some extra effort to internalize what we say during Selichot and Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur davening, so the service is not just lip service but also services to guarantee that our vices are a thing of the past.