Chevre, this week’s parsha is Nitzavim - Vayelech (נצבים-וילך). This week we have the lines:

“Surely, this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it. See, I set before you this day life and prosperity, death and adversity.For I command you this day, to love the ETERNAL your G-d, to walk in G-d’s ways, and to keep G-d’s commandments, laws, and rules—that you may thrive and increase, and that the ETERNAL your G-d may bless you in the land that you are about to enter and possess. (Devarim 30:11-16)

My website is Clouded-Torah and it was pointed out to me, by my nephew, that this is anti-this week’s parsha, where we say it’s not in heaven. I could say that it’s not in the clouds as in heaven, but in the clouds as in “someone else’s computer”.

But what struck me just now as I copied these lines from Sefaria is the statement about live and death. This week, in particular, has been challenging on my street. We’ve had 2 funerals and so 2 families sitting shiva across the street from each other. So for the past few days, it’s been an extra challenge to determine which house to go to for which minyan. (I based my decision on which family I thought would have a harder time getting a minyan). And then today we also had the remembrance for my neighbor Alex, who passed away a week before Rosh Hashanah 4 years ago. And in the middle of all of this, we picked up my nephew (the one mentioned above) for his brother’s (Lone Soldier) Hashbaah (Swearing in for the army), which is a very festive and happy event. And at that event, both my son and I ran into numerous folks from our past that we got to catch up with.

I think this all boils down to community. The tech community that I am part of, the neighborhood community that we are part of and the community of Am Yisrael Globally. And it is us as a community that comes together to support each other and throughout all the good times and less than good times, we make every effort to walk in G-d’s ways, to bless him and move forward.

Shabbat Shalom.