Author: Eve Posen

Torah, Step by Step

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Have you ever had a task that seemed overwhelming until you actually started doing it, only to discover it wasn’t as hard as you feared? Maybe it was assembling a piece of furniture, running your first 5K, or trying a new recipe. The thought of the work can feel daunting, but when you take it one step at a time, the path forward often becomes less treacherous than expected.

Our tradition tells us that Torah can sometimes feel that way. At first glance, it can seem too vast, too complex, or too distant for us to grasp fully. However, Parshat Nitzavim reminds us otherwise: Torah is not unreachable; it is close, accessible, and waiting for us to live it.

In Nitzavim, Moses gathers all of Israel—leaders, elders, children, strangers, laborers—to stand together and renew the covenant with God. The portion stresses collective responsibility, not only of those present, but also of future generations bound to this covenant. It speaks of return (teshuvah) and ends with the stirring message that life and death, blessing and curse are before you. We are to choose life so that we and our descendants may live.

In the heart of this portion, we find a passage of great reassurance: “Lo bashamayim hi . . .”

“It is not in heaven . . . it is not beyond the sea . . . but very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.” (Deut. 30:11–14)

This teaching is the foundation for the blessing La’asok B’divrei Torah. “Blessed are you . . . who commands us to engage in words of Torah.” We do not bless God for completing Torah, or for mastering Torah, but for engaging in it. The blessing affirms that the work is not about perfection, but about participation. Torah is ours to wrestle with, to question, to study, and to live.

This resonates deeply with the declaration of our ancestors at Sinai: “Na’aseh v’nishma.” We will do, and we will understand. The Israelites promised to engage in Torah through action first, trusting that deeper understanding would follow. Just as Nitzavim says Torah is already in our mouths and hearts, na’aseh v’nishma reminds us that through living Torah, we bring it closer. It becomes accessible not just intellectually, but spiritually and communally.

Parshat Nitzavim comes to us each year right before Rosh Hashanah, as we stand on the threshold of a new year. It challenges us to see Torah not as an intimidating mountain or a distant ocean, but as something already within our grasp. It is already in our hearts and mouths, waiting for us to do it.

A Mountain of Choices

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From the moment we wake up until the moment we go to bed, our days are filled with decisions. We are constantly making choices, from what to eat, what to wear, what words to say. Some decisions are small, like whether to take the freeway or the back roads. Others are much bigger, shaping our character or even the legacy we leave. Judaism teaches that even in the ordinary, our choices are infused with holiness. And one of the most powerful ways we frame this is through the blessings we say before learning Torah or performing mitzvot.

Parshat Ki Tavo includes one of the most memorable covenantal moments in the Torah. As the Israelites prepare to enter the Land of Israel, Moses instructs them to divide between two mountains: Mount Gerizim, symbolizing blessings, and Mount Ebal, symbolizing curses. There, they publicly affirm their commitment to God’s commandments, declaring aloud the blessings that flow from faithfulness and the consequences of neglect. It’s a dramatic reminder that Torah is not abstract; it lives in our choices, and those choices have impact.

This moment at Gerizim and Ebal resonates with blessings we say every day. Before we engage with sacred text, we recite the Birkat HaTorah: “Blessed are you … who has chosen us and given us the Torah.” Before performing a commandment, we say the Birkat HaMitzvot: “…who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to…” These words echo the covenantal choice in Ki Tavo. Each blessing is a declaration that Torah and mitzvot are not just rituals we check off, but pathways to blessing—ways we bring holiness into our lives.

Standing between those two mountains, the Israelites learn that blessing doesn’t descend on us passively. It’s the result of choosing to live with intention, guided by Torah. Every time we recite these blessings, we symbolically return to that valley between Gerizim and Ebal, and we choose again.

This week, as we read Ki Tavo, may we hear the call from those ancient mountains in our own lives. When we bless Torah study and mitzvot, let us remember we are not simply reciting words, but affirming our covenantal choice to walk in blessing in our daily actions, big and small. 

Blessings for Daily Life and Responsibility

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Think about the little blessings in your daily life. Not just the words “Baruch atah Adonai” that start our prayers, but the moments that remind you to pause: fastening your seatbelt, checking in on a friend, holding the door open for a stranger. These small acts don’t always feel holy, but they are the threads that bind our communities together. 

Parshat Ki Teitzei is overflowing with mitzvot—more than 70 in total—spanning topics of family, justice, compassion, business, and community. Some seem weighty, like laws of inheritance or capital punishment. Others seem small, almost ordinary: return your neighbor’s lost ox, build a guardrail on your roof, send away the mother bird before taking eggs. The Torah presents a vision of holiness not only in great rituals but in the everyday details of how we live together.

Each of these mitzvot invites us to respond with a blessing formula: Baruch atah Adonai, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu. “Blessed are you, Eternal One, who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us…” The words remind us that holiness isn’t only found within the walls of Neveh Shalom or in our homes on Shabbat, but in our daily responsibilities. For example:

  • Returning a lost object (22:1–3) transforms inconvenience into kindness.
  • Building a fence around your roof (22:8) turns private property into shared responsibility, preventing harm to others.
  • Sending away the mother bird before taking eggs (22:6–7) teaches compassion and gentleness toward even the smallest of creatures.

These mitzvot, and the blessings that accompany them, create a rhythm of sanctity in daily life. By reciting blessings, we pause, notice, and elevate acts that might otherwise pass by unnoticed. In doing so, we acknowledge that safeguarding life and practicing compassion are not optional extras but the very core of Jewish living.

Ki Teitzei challenges us to see our daily actions as opportunities for blessing. Each time we care for another person, act with responsibility, or protect the vulnerable, we are living the words asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav. This week, don’t wait for Shabbat or holidays to sanctify your life. Make a blessing with your actions: return what isn’t yours, put up your “fences” of care and caution, and treat others with compassion. In doing so, may our ordinary days be filled with extraordinary holiness.

The Art of Enough

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In a world that constantly tells us we need more—more success, more space, more stuff—it’s hard to know when we’ve reached enough. New phone models and operating systems are released before we can learn the current ones, our homes get fuller even as we run out of closet space, and our social media feeds suggest that everyone else always has a little more than we do. What does it mean to be truly content with what we have?

Parshat Shoftim is known for its famous call to justice: Tzedek, tzedek tirdof. “Justice, justice shall you pursue.” (Deut. 16:20). But among its many laws governing leadership and society, there’s a more subtle commandment that speaks volumes: “You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary marker…” (Deut. 19:14)

This verse may seem mundane, but it’s deeply ethical. It safeguards not just property, but the principle that what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours. It’s about honoring sacred space, whether physical, emotional, or communal.

Each morning, we say a series of Birkot HaShachar—blessings for waking up and stepping into the day. One of them is: Baruch atah … she’asah li kol tzarki. “Blessed are you … who has provided me with all I need.”

This simple blessing is a daily reminder to embrace sufficiency. When we internalize that we have enough, we are less likely to covet what belongs to others, less tempted to cross boundaries, and more inclined to respect the space and needs of those around us.

The Torah’s prohibition against moving a boundary marker is not just about land; it’s about a mindset of enoughness. It challenges us to build a society rooted in fairness and gratitude, not greed.

This week, consider: where in your life do you need to redraw a boundary, not to take more, but to better honor what already is? Can you approach your home, your work, and your relationships with the quiet confidence that you have enough? By living with gratitude and respecting the sacred boundaries of others, we turn the morning’s simple blessing into a daily act of justice.

The Blessing of Giving

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Have you ever had second thoughts about deciding whether to lend a hand, give a donation, or volunteer your time? Not because you didn’t want to help, but because the moment required something more: intention, choice, and sometimes even discomfort. Parshat Re’eh meets us in precisely that space—the moment of decision—and asks us not just to see the world, but to respond to it.

Parshat Re’eh opens with a powerful proposition: “See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” (Deut. 11:26) What follows is a wide-ranging vision for the society the Israelites are meant to build in the Promised Land. It includes laws about worship, kashrut, festivals, and, centrally, economic justice. The Torah demands that we open our hands and our hearts: “If there is a needy person among you … do not harden your heart or shut your hand … but you shall surely open your hand.” (Deut. 15:7–8)

This call to generosity is more than social advice; it’s a mitzvah. And with mitzvot, we offer blessings not only over food or prayer, but also over acts of justice. Before giving tzedakah, many say:

“Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al ha’tzedakah.”

Blessed are you … who sanctified us with commandments and commanded us regarding tzedakah.

This blessing reminds us that giving isn’t optional. It’s not just charity, it’s a sacred act that brings holiness into the world. The Torah doesn’t say we should give when it’s convenient, or when we feel emotionally moved. It says, “You shall surely open your hand.” The double verb in Hebrew “patoach tiftach” emphasizes urgency and wholeheartedness.

Re’eh means “see.” See the needs of others, see the blessings in your own life, and then act. Sometimes it’s a little too easy to turn away, but Parshat Re’eh calls us to live with open eyes and open hands. This week, may we not only see the path of blessing, but choose to walk it generously, justly, and with hearts wide open.