When boys and girls gather at a rally of Tzivos Hashem -- The Army of Hashem -- this makes G-d happy. "May the L-rd find delight in His works" (Tehillim 104:24).
And when G-d sees the children proclaim:
In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth,
(Bereishis 1:1)
showing that they know that G-d created the world and all that exists in the heavens and the earth, this causes an even greater happiness and special joy for G-d. The children of Tzivos Hashem accept G-d as their Creator, and resolve to follow what He commands, with joy, for: "The Jews should rejoice in their Maker" (Tanya 33). This brings more happiness, and they merit to do G-d's will.
We understand that every army has its rules of conduct, so too, the Army of Hashem has its Order of the Day, which indicates the actions which must be done on specific days. These orders change from time to time. We must look into the "Torah of Life," which teaches us how to live our life, to know what the Order of the Day is for Tzivos Hashem.
Torah tells us that when Jews meet in the month of Elul they should know that the King is in the field -- the Commander in Chief is in the field -- with all His men and the entire Jewish nation.
We should realize how happy we must be when we can be close to G-d in the field. Then,
G-d stands over him, and the whole earth is full of His glory and He searches his mind and heart (to see) if he is serving Him as is fitting. (Tanya 41)
G-d wants to see how His soldiers act when they are in the field; not in the capital city, not when they are in their barracks, but when they are in the field. Are they still serving G-d and doing everything they should, with joy?
And then the Commander in Chief is proud, and He says:
They are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands. (Yeshayah 60:21)
For Hashem created them and set them as an example for the whole world.
There is also a specific Order of the Day for the last few days of Elul; so let us look into the portion of the week to see what special order of the day we have now.
The portion of the week will actually give us the Order of the Week. It is called Nitzavim, which means: "You are all standing (firmly)"; not just like civilians stand, but since the word "Nitzav" is used to indicate the idea of royalty, it shows that you must stand firm and strong, as you would stand before a king.
And if the foolish yetzer hora should come and try to confuse you, he might say: "Even though you are in a place of prayer and study where you just prayed to the Commander in Chief and just said the 12 verses of Torah, you can still do something wrong!"
If this should happen, you can stand staunch, full of the glory of Hashem, who stands over you, and drive away the yetzer hora. When the yetzer hora sees he has no success he will certainly run away.
You have just said: "'You should love your fellow as yourself' is a basic principle of Torah," and when many children gather together you have the chance to influence others: Boys to boys and girls to girls, to see that they should also act as members of Tzivos Hashem. They should also stand firm before G-d.
Last year we also held a rally during the week of Nitzavim but then there was the additional portion of Vayeilech.
In that case the lesson we took from the Torah was to be strong and to carry the action into the future to drive away the yetzer hora later, and to go from "strength to strength" in all matters of Yiddishkeit. This year we read only Nitzavim this week, which gives us more time to think more deeply and strongly, and with greater joy, into the meaning of Nitzavim.
What do we learn?
We learn that now before Rosh Hashanah we must make the proper preparations for the coming year. So we have to stand firm in our resolutions for the coming year.
When G-d sees that we do this with joy and enthusiasm and the strength of "Nitzavim," then He will bless us with the success to go ahead from "Nitzavim" and move on into the year with a Kesivo vaChasimo Tovo. We will advance to the highest level and will go, all together, to our Holy Land, "where the eyes of the L-rd your G-d are always on it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year" (Devorim 11:12).
And all the members of Tzivos Hashem -- together with all the youths and elders, sons and daughters -- will take along all their achievements and all their good deeds from Elul and Nitzavim, with joy, to the ultimate redemption.
For the special Order of the Day we will look to the reading section for today, the third part of Nitzavim.
We should also keep in mind that as today is Tuesday there is a special lesson for Tzivos Hashem which we learn from every Tuesday of the year.
When G-d created the world, on the third day, the Torah says the words, "it was good" two times. From this our sages derive that "it was good for Heaven and good for men."
The children of Tzivos Hashem must remember to stand firm and good for Hashem, and also for people. Your parents, teachers and counselors are also created by G-d, and they have the mission from Hashem to take care of all your needs; to provide you with food and clothing, proper schooling and to see that every child succeeds in his mission as a member of Tzivos Hashem. So the double blessing of Tuesday teaches that the child must be good to Heaven and good to people -- since Torah gave the order, you can surely do it with joy and you will surely be successful.
Now, on Tuesday of Nitzavim the Torah tells us:
You know full well that we lived in Egypt ....
(Devorim 29:15)
We must remember that we were once enslaved in Egypt and G-d redeemed us, and therefore every day we must see ourselves as if we were just taken out of Egypt and rejoice as if G-d had just liberated us from bondage.
This also means that if someone was a slave to the bad yetzer hora, Hashem made him free.
And if the yetzer hora tries to confuse you and say, "See what the Egyptians did, you can do it too," or if the yetzer hora tries to influence you to follow other evil or cursed peoples, you say, "I am a soldier of Tzivos Hashem. I certainly will not do anything bad!"
The last verse in this reading section says the following:
That which has been revealed applies to us and to our children forever. (Devorim 29:28)
From Rashi we understand that this verse teaches us that one Jew is responsible for the revealed actions of other Jews -- not only for ourselves but for others. Boys for boys and girls for girls.
What is revealed? Your conduct.
When a Jewish child eats or drinks he must first say a blessing to thank G-d; on many foods he says "shehakol" -- which has the same meaning as "Bereishis," that G-d created everything. When he acts this way -- he will not do bad things.
In the portion of Tehillim for today we read the chapters of Hallel where we also recall that G-d took the Jews out of Egypt: "When Israel went out of Egypt" (Tehillim 114:1). And we conclude:
Praise the L-rd for He is good, for His kindness is everlasting. (Ibid 118:29)
The kindness of G-d gives each and every one more strength, and more life, to act as a Jewish child should, not only when you are in a shul and not only when you are learning or doing a mitzvah -- but all through the day and night.
In the Rambam's Sefer Hamitzvos today, we learn of the mitzvos which command the Kohanim how to prepare themselves and conduct themselves when they eat the special holy sacrificial foods: where, when, how, etc.
All the Jewish people are called a "kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation," therefore each one of you must know how to be holy like a Kohen.
If it is necessary to wash your hands before eating, you must make sure to do so. Then you must take care to say a berachah.
But not only your actions should be holy -- even your thoughts must be holy; so that you can be a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation.
This is the special lesson of Tzivos Hashem from the Torah, Tehillim and Rambam of this day. And as we said at the end of the Tehillim section: "Praise the L-rd for He is good," and He will give us kindness to be able to fulfill all our good resolutions, "going from strength to strength, to appear before G-d in Tziyon" (Tehillim 84:8), with the true and complete redemption.
As at every rally, after we have prayed Minchah together and then recited the 12 verses of Torah and teachings of our sages, I will now give each of you, through your leaders, several coins. One or two of the coins you should give for tzedakah, which is like the blessing of Tuesday. For when you give tzedakah you are good for G-d -- since you heeded His command -- and you are good to people -- you helped someone in need -- or a school in need. You did G-d's will and you strengthened a poor person, or a needy school.
When a Jew does a good deed, it is with happiness and joy: "The Jews should rejoice in their Maker." This is especially true when the King is in the field, when G-d shows us a smiling face and a happy face and shows us that He will do our request -- so our joy is much greater.
This joy is expressed in song and you should sing a song based on Selichos -- "Rachamana." Just as G-d answered the supplication of the distressed and oppressed, He should hear our prayers and give us a Kesivo vaChasima Tovo, and bring the complete redemption soon. Then we will sing "We Want Moshiach Now," -- that he should truly come Now! Then we will sing "Sheyeboneh Bais Hamikdosh," and then, "Ach Tzaddikim."
And may G-d grant us soon a general Kesivo vaChasima Tovo and a year of health happiness and a year of Yiddishkeit with the quick redemption for all the Jews, Amen.
One of the aspects of the time of Moshiach is: "And He shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children," which means, that when the parents and adults see the enthusiasm of the children they too will be moved and encouraged to improve and do more. Therefore, in merit of the children, I will also give three coins to the adults who are here. One or two of the coins should be donated to tzedakah, and the third may be used for whatever their hearts desire. And this will speed the building of the Bais Hamikdosh and the complete redemption.
21st Day Of Elul, 5745