Rabbi Sholom Twerski
September 4, 2026
Similar to how the Torah spells out the brachos (blessings) we will receive when we keep the Torah, and the klalos (curses) that will befall us if we choose not to follow the laws of the Torah, in this week’s parsha, the Torah also warns us what will befall us if we abandon His ways. However, Parshas Nitzavim differs on the focus. Here, the Torah uses it to segue into the parsha of Teshuva.
וְהָיָה כִי־יָבֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ בְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדִּיחֲךָ ה אֱלֹקֶיךָ שָׁמָּה׃
When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which the ETERNAL your God has banished you,
וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד־ה אֱלֹקֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶׁךָ׃
and you return to the ETERNAL your God, and you and your children heed God’s command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day,(Devarim 30:1-2)
The Torah continues that when we do Teshuva, Hashem will bring us back from exile, shower us with blessings, and instead place all the curses on our enemies. For it will be that when we once again apply ourselves enthusiastically to our service of Hashem, Hashem will once again act magnanimously towards us.
וְהוֹתִירְךָ ה אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ בִּפְרִי בִטְנְךָ וּבִפְרִי בְהֶמְתְּךָ וּבִפְרִי אַדְמָתְךָ לְטֹבָה כִּי יָשׁוּב ה לָשׂוּשׂ עָלֶיךָ לְטוֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂשׂ עַל־אֲבֹתֶיךָ׃
And the ETERNAL your God will grant you abounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in your issue from the womb, the offspring of your cattle, and your produce from the soil. For GOD will again delight in your well-being as in that of your ancestors. (Ibid 30:9)
Unsurprisingly, this pasuk reflects one of the pesukim we have earlier in parshas Ki Tavo; one of the verses of the blessings.
וְהוֹתִרְךָ ה לְטוֹבָה בִּפְרִי בִטְנְךָ וּבִפְרִי בְהֶמְתְּךָ וּבִפְרִי אַדְמָתֶךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע ה לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לָתֶת לָךְ׃
GOD will give you abounding prosperity in your issue from the womb, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil in the land that GOD swore to your fathers to assign to you.(Ibid 28:11)
What the Meshech Chachma points out is that there is a subtle distinction in the wording of the pasuk when it describes the initial bracha in Parshas Ki Tavo as compared to the wording when the generations which have strayed then do teshuva in Nitzavim. The difference is in the words, “בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ- in all the work of your hand.”
In the Gemara in Brachos 35b, we find a machlokes (disagreement) between R’ Yishmael and R’ Shimon bar Yochai whether one who is committed to the Torah is meant to engage in work for livelihood. R’ Yishmael is of the opinion that while one should make Torah study his priority, he still must engage in earthly pursuits to be self-sustaining. R’ Shimon bar Yochai has a loftier approach. He objects that if one devotes time to all the labor of maintaining his fields, he will not have time to study the Torah properly. Instead, he maintains a higher ideal of pouring oneself into learning Torah and relying on Hashem that his parnassa will be taken care of by other means.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ״ מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר? — לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לֹא יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ״ — יָכוֹל דְּבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ״ — הַנְהֵג בָּהֶן מִנְהַג דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל.
The Sages taught: What is the meaning of that which the verse states: “And you shall gather your grain”? Because it is stated: “This Torah shall not depart from your mouths, and you shall contemplate in it day and night” (Joshua 1:8), I might have thought that these matters areto be understood as they are written; one is to literally spend his days immersed exclusively in Torah study. Therefore, the verse states: “And you shall gather your grain, your wine and your oil,” assume in their regard, the way of the world; set aside time not only for Torah, but also for work. This is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר: אֶפְשָׁר אָדָם חוֹרֵשׁ בִּשְׁעַת חֲרִישָׁה, וְזוֹרֵעַ בִּשְׁעַת זְרִיעָה, וְקוֹצֵר בִּשְׁעַת קְצִירָה, וְדָשׁ בִּשְׁעַת דִּישָׁה, וְזוֹרֶה בִּשְׁעַת הָרוּחַ, תּוֹרָה מַה תְּהֵא עָלֶיהָ? אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם — מְלַאכְתָּן נַעֲשֵׂית עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעָמְדוּ זָרִים וְרָעוּ צֹאנְכֶם וְגוֹ׳״, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם — מְלַאכְתָּן נַעֲשֵׂית עַל יְדֵי עַצְמָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ״.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yocḥai says: Is it possible that a person plows in the plowing season and sows in the sowing season and harvests in the harvest season and threshes in the threshing season and winnows in the windy season, as grain is separated from the chaff by means of the wind, and is constantly busy; what will become of Torah? Rather, one must dedicate himself exclusively to Torah at the expense of other endeavors; as when Israel performs God’s will, their work is performed by others, as it is stated: “And strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and your vinedressers” (Isaiah 61:5). When Israel does not perform God’s will, their work is performed by them themselves, as it is stated: “And you shall gather your grain.”
This Gemara is the key to understanding the variations in the pasuk. The first pasuk, in Parshas Ki Tavo, is talking about a generation that was completely righteous. Being tzaddikim of the highest caliber, theyfunctioned on the level of R’ Shimon bar Yochai. They were engaged completely in the study of Torah and did not work. Hashem blessed them to the point that they did not need to do the work themselves, so there was no “handiwork”
The Torah is pointing out a delicate point. One may be led to believe that when the later generations do teshuva, they should live life exactly as their forefathers had done. Not so, says the Torah. Even after one has done teshuva, because they have previously been involved with sin, they may need to adopt a different approach. The pathway to sin may beckon again, so they need to involve themselves in other pursuits as well. If they can busy themselves and be productive with their fields, as well as using their spare time to study Torah, that will prevent them from sliding backwards. They must be cognizant that they may not be ready to live a life completely dedicated to toiling in Torah.
As we approach the Eseres Yemei Teshuva (10 Days of Repentance), we must know ourselves and be very real. The call of the day is to seek to improve ourselves, repair damaged relationships, and expand our potential. At the same time, while it behooves us to look ever upwards and aspire to greatness, we must also be in touch with our current level.Should our life changes create too drastic a gap, we run the risk of not being able to maintain commitments and backsliding.
May we merit to do a proper Teshuva and calculate appropriate, incremental steps to further us in our quest of growing closer to Hashem.
Have a wonderful Shabbos!