The reading of Parshat Nitzanim just before Rosh Hashanah is quite purposeful as the tradition hopes to move us into a place of thoughtful reflection in preparation for the approaching high holy days. A message contained in this week’s reading is of the varied types and character of transgressions. The portion contains the verse, The hidden are for Hashem our Gd and the revealed are for us and for our children…(Deut. 29:28) As explained in the Etz Chaim chumash, our tradition understands the hidden transgressions of humans to be judged and acted on by Gd, while the public transgressions of humanity are to be the realm of collegial human judgment. A critical understanding of this verse in our tradition must here be emphasized: The ‘hidden’ transgressions are for the individual transgressor to be accountable before Gd, but for the ‘revealed’ (i.e. public) transgressions the ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS RESPONSIBLE. Perhaps our personal involvement in social activism would be greater if we were to truly absorb and understand the personal consequences of our inaction in the face of malevolence.
