Parshas Nitzavim - Vayelech
Le'iluy Nishmas: Gittel a"h bas Shraga Meir Hakohen
Le'iluy Nishmas Tziporah Chana a"h bas Yaakov Avraham Eliyahu
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Another great Parsha with many ideas for your Parsha Party. REMINDER - THIS IS A SPRINGBOARD OF IDEAS. YOU CAN CHOOSE ONE IDEA OR A FEW. AND HAVE THE KIDS GUESS THE CONNECTIONS.
Parsha Overview (Feel free to skip straight to the Party below - simply click the arrow next to this text and the overview will disappear
In Sefer Devarim – also called Mishna Torah - Moshe Rabeinu recounts what happened in the Torah from the previous Sefarim for the generation that is about to enter the land of Eretz Yisrael and gives them many new Mitzvos as well. His Speech takes place for thirty six days straight - right before he passes away.
Nitzavim - Vayelech
Nitzavim - means standing. Moshe Rabeinu gathers all the people together on his last day and addresses them.
A treaty between Hashem and The Yidden
You are all standing here today (after hearing all the blesses and curses), the leaders, the young, the old, the Geirim, (even) the wood cutters and water carriers. (Rashi says that these were Canaanim that tricked Moshe into allowing them to convert).
Listen up! You are about to enter a Bris – an agreement with Hashem! A treaty to bind you as His people and Hashem as your G-d as He promised to the Avos. He will not trade you with anyone. This Bris is not only with those of you standing here but also with your future descendants. Hashem wants you to promise that you will stay his nation and follow the Torah and not serve Avodah Zara.
Since you were exposed to the abominable Avodah Zara in Mitzrayim and saw enticing riches there, you need to be under a treaty not to follow those ways. Perhaps there is someone amongst you that has his heart turned towards Avodah Zara and thinks that they will follow their hearts desires, they must know that Hashem will bring all the curses of the Torah on them and erase them from the earth.
Teshuva can be done and is accepted!
Even if you do mess up and end up with curses amongst the nations, do not give up. Instead do teshuva with a full heart to return to Hashem and Hashem will return with you. He will bring you from the farthest off places back to the land that He promised your fathers and do good for you there making you even more numerous than your fathers.
Hashem will “circumcise” your hearts so to speak and you will love Him will all your heart and soul and life.
Your enemies will get the curses
When you do listen to Hashem’s mitzvos and do teshuva, instead the curses will go on your enemies and you will have good!
The Torah is So Close!
The Torah and Mitzvos are not hidden from you and not far away.
They’re not in the heavens where you have to climb all the way up to learn it.
They’re not across the sea that you would need to cross to fulfill it
Ki Karov Elecha HaDavar Me’od! Beficha, Ubilvavcha La’asoso! – The Torah is so close to you! It is right there within your mouth and your heart to learn and fullfill it. (Rashi – it is written in Torah Shebichsav and accompanied by Torah She’Baal Peh).
Life / Death – Choose Life
See that I am placing life and good before you and Death and bad before you. Keep the Mitzvos and you will have Life and Good in the land. If you don’t then the opposite is true. The heaven and earth serve as witnesses. CHOOSE LIFE!V
VaYelech – This means and Moshe went. It is referring to the last day of his life.
Moshe hands over the reigns
He tells the people, today is the last day of my life. I am 120 years and I no longer am permitted to go with you and accompany you across the Yarden. But be comforted as Hashem will go with you and has given over my reign to Yehoshua. Hashem will do to the nations in the land as he did to Sichon and Og which he destroyed. So don’t fear, but be courageous as Hashem will be with you.
Moshe then calls up Yehoshua in front of everyone and repeats Chazak Ve’Ametz – Be Strong and Couragous as Hashem will be with you and will not forsake you!
Hakhel
Moshe writes all the words of the Torah and gives it to the Kohanim that carry the Aron HaKodesh. He commands them that at the end of every 7 years, as the new Shmittah cycle begins, they will all gather to Hashem in the Bais Hamikdash on Sukkos and the king will read to them from this Torah scroll. The mitzvah of Hakhel calls upon the men, women, children, and geirim to gather to learn and hear the words of the Torah. Even children that don’t understand should hear it to instill Yiras Hashem.
Moshe’s days are coming to an end
Hashem tells Moshe to call Yehoshua to the Ohel Moed (Mishkan) because his days are coming to an end. (This is one source of Tzaddikim don’t die, only their days do. The Tzaddik is called alive even after this. – Medrash)
The People will sin and be Punished
Hashem tells Moshe that the nation will indeed sin so terribly and be punished and He will have to hide His face from them. (Hint to Esther in the Purim story – Haster Asteer es Panai).
Write the song of Haazinu
They are commanded to write the “song” of the upcoming Haazinu (warning them of punishments) and teach it and place it in their mouths as a witness.
Lo Sishachach MiPi Zaro – It will not be forgotten
Although they will forsake Hashem, it is a promise that they will not forget the Torah entirely
Moshe completes writing the Sefer Torah
He completes writing the words and then gives Yehoshua chizuk. Then he hands the Sefer Torah to the Leviim and tells them to keep it alongside the Aron HaKodesh. (According to some – inside the Aron, alongside the Luchos).
He speaks to all the people and warns them that he knows that they will deviate from the Torah after his death. He proceeds to tell them the warnings in the next Parsha – Haazinu.
(Adapted partially from Chabad.org, and The Pesukim and Rashi and Medrash Says)
And now for the fun part
PARSHA PARTY
SNACKS LIST
Chews-It /Peanut Chews / Chewzy pops
Kids Chocolate (Milk – serve for breakfast!)
Mazel Tov Chocolates
Red Foil Chocolate Hearts
Fruit Rollups
Twozies
Fruit by the Foot
Dibbitz candies (Has picture of open mouth on the package)
Truck Pez Candies
Salt Water Taffies
Aqua Chews
Jelly Fish
Fizzy Candy Cane
Tools Mini Chocolates (Milk – serve for breakfast)
Cry Baby Gum
Made Good Cookies
Orbit Gum
Candy Brix
Winkies
Honey Candy
Fun Pops
Zillions
Airheads
Go Go candies
Lip Candies
Birthday Cake Jelly Beans
Cotton Candy
Mentos
Dazzlers
Torah Oodles
Aleph Bais Cookies
Candy Planet
Crayon candy
Rocket Pop
Starlight Mints
Star Cookies
Extra Strong Super Mints
Seven Layer Cake
Enjoy Life Bars / Cinnamon Life Cereal
THE PARSHA PARTY ANSWER LIST!
Fruit by the Foot – You are all standing here today (on your feet)
Chews-It /Peanut Chews / Chewzy pops – Moshe tells the Yidden that they see that Life and Death are before them – Choose Life and keep the Torah
Kids Chocolate (Milk – serve for breakfast!) – You are all standing here today as a nation to make a Bris with Hashem. The old, the young kids, the men the women etc. Also for Hakhel they are told to bring the kids to hear the Torah reading
Twozies – Bring even the young (2 year old or younger) children that won’t understand the Torah reading to Hakhel to instill Yiras Hashem in them
Mazel Tov Chocolates / Red Foil Chocolate Hearts / Heart candies or lollies– They are making a Bris with Hashem as His nation and their hearts received a Milah. Hearts also because the Torah is in your mouth and Hearts so close to you
Fruit Rollups – Moshe writes all the words of the Torah and rolls it up, gives to the Kohanim/Leviim to put in or alongside the Aron
Dibbitz candies (Has picture of open mouth on the package)
Truck Pez Candies – The torah is not far away that you need to travel to find it
Salt Water Taffies / Aqua Chews/ Jelly Fish - The torah is not across the sea or ocean that you need to travel to find it. It is in your hearts and mouths! Also Salt Water taffies for tears of Teshuva as the pesukim say that teshuva will be accepted fully!
Fizzy Candy Cane – Moshe Rabeinu is 120 on this day of Parshas Vayelech and tells the nation he is on his last day
Tools Mini Chocolates (Milk – serve for breakfast) – The water carriers and Wood Cutters are also included in the people that are standing before Moshe on that day to enter into a Bris with Hashem. (Water carriers also works for the Salt water taffies and Aqua Chews)
Cry Baby Gum / Made Good Cookies – Hashem wants the sinners to do real teshuva and it will be accepted
Orbit Gum – Every cycle (orbit) of Shmitta they must do the mitzvah of Hakhel where they gather to the Bais Hamikdash on Sukkos and the king reads the Sefer Torah
Candy Brix – They do Hakhel in the Bais Hamikdash
Winkies – Wink is like a hint – the Parsha hints to Purim’s Esther Hamalka with the words Haster Asteer es Panai
Honey Candy/ Fun Pops – When they come to the land of milk and honey they will sin even though warned over an over not to because they want to have fun and follow their desires
Zillions – If they do Teshuva they will be blessed with even more offspring than their fathers
Airheads – Perhaps someone hears all the warnings but thinks in his heart he is going to follow Avodah Zara anyway – he will get all the curses!
Go Go candies – Moshe cannot go along with them to Eretz Yisrael. His days are going to die instead. Also they are told to Go to Hakhel.
Lip Candies – Ki Karov Elecha – The torah is in your mouth and heart!
Birthday Cake Jelly Beans – Moshe Rabeinu birthday was on the day he passed away – Zayin Adar
Cotton Candy – Lo Bashamayim Hi – the Torah isn’t in the clouds!
Mentos – A person that focuses his mental capacities and his heart on doing teshuva, it will be accepted
Dazzlers – You were exposed to the dazzling Avodah Zara in Mitzrayim, be sure not to copy it!
Torah Oodles/ Aleph Bais Cookies / Crayon candy – Moshe writes the words of the Torah and gives it to the Leviim and Kohanim to place by the Aron. The king reads from it during Hakhel
Candy Planet/Rocket Pop / Starlight Mints / Star Cookies – The torah is not in the sky its close by in your mouth and heart
Extra Strong Super Mints – Moshe tells the people and Yehoshua to Stay Strong and Courageous Chazak VeAmetz
Seven Layer Cake – Hakhel is every seven years
Enjoy Life Bars / Cinnamon Life Cereal – Choose Life (by keeping the mitzvos and not serving Avoda Zara)
There are definitely more great ideas.... let's get some more please!!!
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Have a wonderful Shabbos!
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