The Gift of Change
Deuteronomy Rabbah 10
讻讱 讘专讗 讛拽讘”讛 讗转 注讜诇诪讜 讬讜诐 砖讬讛讗 讬讜诐 讜诇讬诇讛 砖讬讛讗 诇讬诇, 讘讗 讬注拽讘 讜注砖讛 讗转 讛讬讜诐 诇讬诇讛 砖砖拽注 诇讜 讛拽讘”讛 讗转 讛砖诪砖 砖诇讗 讘注讜谞转讛 砖谞讗诪专)讘专讗砖讬转 讻讞( 讜讬驻讙注 讘诪拽讜诐 讜讬诇谉 砖诐 讻讬 讘讗 讛砖诪砖 讘讗 讬讛讜砖注 讜注砖讛 讛诇讬诇讛 讬讜诐 砖谞讗’ )讬讛讜砖注 讬( 砖诪砖 讘讙讘注讜谉 讚讜诐 讛专讬 砖讛爪讚讬拽讬诐 讙讜专注讬诐 讜诪讜住讬驻讬诐 注诇 讚讘专讬讜 砖诇 讛拽讘”讛 讻讚讬 砖讬讛讬讜 讛讘专讬讜转 讬专讗讬谉 诪诇驻谞讬讜 … 讻讱 讘专讗 讛拽讘”讛 砖诪讬诐 讜讗专抓 砖讬讛讬讜 诪拽诇住讬诐 讗讜转讜 诪谞讬谉 砖谞讗诪专 )转讛诇讬诐 讬讟( 讛砖诪讬诐 诪住驻专讬诐 讻讘讜讚 讗诇 讻讬讜谉 砖讘讗 诪砖讛 砖讬转拽 讗讜转谉 诪谞讬谉 砖谞讗诪专 讛讗讝讬谞讜 讛砖诪讬诐.
God created the world, so that day would be day, and night would be night. Along came Jacob and God made the day night by making the sun set early, as it is written, “He came upon a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set (Gen. 28:11).” Along came Joshua and God made night day, as it is written, “Stand still, O sun at Gibeon” (Josh. 10:12). For the righteous, God adds and takes away from God’s word so that creation will be in awe before God . . . God created the Heavens and the Earth that they would praise God, as it is written, “The Heavens declare the glory of God,” along came Moses and quieted them as it is written, “Give ear O heavens” (Deut. 32:1).
At this season of self-reflection, our thoughts naturally turn to our own individual acts of the year gone by. But the teshuvah process climaxes on the Yamim Nora’im, when we stand together in packed sanctuaries, finding power in our solidarity as a community.
What in this world is set in stone, and what can be changed? As the seasons shift and we approach Yom Kippur, these questions become more relevant, more powerful. It is these questions that this week’s midrash seeks to answer. In a roundabout way, our midrash links a series of texts (only a few of which appear above) around the theme of inverting the natural order of the world for the sake of the righteous, providing examples of when day became night, and night day, when the sky traded places with the sea, when the sea was transformed into dry land. The midrash ends its journey through Jewish scripture with the opening words of Ha路azinu. Interwoven with the joy the midrash takes in connecting such disparate texts we find a subtle but clear message: Nothing in this world is set in stone. Not day, not night, not oceans, or dry land. Everything can change and be changed.
While at other times of the year this lack of permanence might induce fear, now during the season of repentance, it is a beacon of hope. Just as the world can change, so too can we. Our personal weaknesses, flawed relationships, and shortcomings, which can seem as certain as night and day and sea and dry land, can change and be transformed. Just as for the sake of the righteous, God transforms the order of the natural world, when we focus on refining our own righteousness, we too can be transformed.
