Parashat Shoftim: You Must Not Turn Back That Way

August 21, 2020


Our journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in our Promised Land is an essential theme of our Torah. This collective memory shapes our liturgy, in prayers such as Mi Chamocha, and our holidays, most notably Passover.

Egypt, in Hebrew, is mitzrayim, which literally means narrow place. When we were slaves in Egypt, we lived in a narrow place. Our freedom, on the other hand, is broad and expansive: mentally, physically, and spiritually.

In this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, we are still wandering in the desert, still in that in-between place - not quite in slavery, not yet free. Not in Egypt, and not in Israel. A transitional place. We’re not there yet, but we’re on our way.

Throughout our narrative, many times, the Israelites threw up their hands and said, “We had it better in Egypt!” “At least there, we had food to eat!” God responded to this kvetching in a typical biblical, all-powerful deity kind of way - that is, by opening up the earth swallowing up those people, assigning various plagues and ailments to them, etc. I joke, but only because we know this is the way our ancient ancestors imagined God worked in the world.

So this week, as we move through our final book of the Torah, ever closer to concluding our desert wanderings, we receive an important instruction: “[do not] return my people back to Egypt... You must not turn back that way again.” V’lo yashiv et ha’am mitzraymah... Lo tisphun lashuv baderech hazeh od.

Twice in that verse, we hear a root used, shuv, which is so timely for our season. Shuv, turning or returning, is most familiar to us from the idea of teshuva, literally returning, often translated as repentance. Do not return my people back to Egypt. You must not turn back that way again.

Tonight is the first day of the month of Elul, the last month of the Jewish calendar, the month that concludes with the first month, Tishrei - and with the first day of that month and of the new year, which is Rosh Hashanah. Elul is traditionally dedicated as an entire month of spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days. As I like to say, Elul is a gift, because it enables us to ramp up slowly for our most significant days of prayer and reflection, rather than go from zero to sixty on the first of Tishrei.

Elul grants us the opportunity to think about returning, and turning back. The words of Psalm 27 that I shared this evening, traditionally recited every day from the first of Elul through Sukkot, offer another way to think about shuva - about return.

One thing I ask of you, Adonai, only that do I seek
To live in the house of Adonai all the days of my life
To gave upon the beauty of Adonai
And to frequent God’s temple.

To live in the house of Adonai - shivti b’veit Adonai. Even though they are different roots, there is a connection between shivti and shuv.

You must not turn back that way - lo lashuv

May I live in the House of Adonai - shivti b’veit Adonai

Our Torah portion is unequivocal - You must not turn back that way. If we can’t turn back the way we came, we must find a new path forward. We must turn and return, inward to ourselves, and only then will we return to dwell in God’s house.

So what is back that way for you? What are the old habits, stories, and paths you want to leave behind this year? You must not turn back that way - so as we enter Elul, what are you leaving behind?

And what does it look like when you live in God’s house? Where are you going? What will it look like, feel like, be like when you come home?

This month of Elul, may our journey, even if we wander, be one of teshuva, of returning to dwell in God’s house, shivti b’veit Adonai. You must not turn back that way, toward Egypt, the way you came, the way of transgressions against yourself, others, and God. It is time to return to beit Adonai, to God’s house.

It is still Elul, so we are not there yet. We won’t turn back that way. We are still on our way. Zman lashuv, lashevet b’veit Adonai. It is time to come home.

We’ll join together now in blessing our final month of the year, Elul, our new month. If you’d like to join in the blessing, you can find it on page 379:

Our God and God of our ancestors
May the new month bring us goodness and blessing.
May we have long life, peace, prosperity,
A life exalted by love of Torah and reverence for the divine;
A life in which the longs of our hearts are fulfilled for good.

The new month of Elul begins today!

Chodesh tov - may it be a month of turning, returning, and coming home.

Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch
Temple Anshe Amunim | Pittsfield, MA