Daily Renewal Of Covenant

אתם נצבים היום

"You are standing this day, all of you, before Hashem your God" (Devarim 29:9).

The verse opens by describing all of Bnei Yisrael standing together as one before Hashem to enter into the covenant.

הוא בכל יום בק"ש שמע ישראל מתאספין כל נשמות בנ"י כמ"ש לעברך כו'

This takes place every single day through Krias Shema, for when we declare "Shema Yisrael," all the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael are gathered together, as it is written, "for you to pass into the covenant of Hashem your God" (Devarim 29:11).

The Sfas Emes teaches that this standing together is not only a one-time event; it is renewed daily when we say Shema Yisrael and all the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael are spiritually gathered as one.

כי אם היא כנסי' לש"ש כדי לקבל עמ"ש ולהעיד עליו ית' היא מתקיימת

For only when it is an assembly for the sake of Heaven, in order to accept upon ourselves the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven and to bear witness to Him, Yisbarach, does such a gathering endure.

Such a gathering only has lasting power when its purpose is for the sake of Heaven, namely to accept the yoke of malchus Shamayim and to testify to Hashem.

וגם זה אמת שע"י הכנסי' בכלל ישראל יכולין להיות עובר בברית ה"א

And this too is true: that through joining oneself to the collective whole of Yisrael, a person is able to become one who passes into the covenant of Hashem his God.

Joining oneself to the klal, the collective body of Bnei Yisrael, is itself the means by which a person enters into Hashem's covenant.

וכמו כן ע"י קבלת הברית באין אל האחדות

And likewise, through accepting the covenant, one comes to attain the unity of Bnei Yisrael.

The reverse is also true: by accepting the covenant, one is drawn into the achdus, the unity, of Bnei Yisrael.

הרי נאמר על מי שהתברך בלבבו והבדילו ה' כו' שיוצא מן הכלל

For behold, it is said concerning one who blesses himself in his heart and thereby separates himself, that "Hashem will set him apart" (Devarim 29:20), meaning that he goes out from the collective whole.

The Torah warns that one who privately blesses himself and breaks away from the klal is set apart by Hashem and falls out of the collective whole.

ומכ"ש מדה טובה מי שמקבל עליו עול הברית זוכה שיתקבל בכלל ישראל כנ"ל:

And all the more so, since a measure of good is greater than a measure of punishment, one who accepts upon himself the yoke of the covenant merits to be drawn into the collective whole of Yisrael, as explained above.

Since Hashem's measure of reward exceeds His measure of punishment, surely one who embraces the yoke of the covenant merits to be drawn into and included within the klal of Yisrael.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that the standing of "Atem Nitzavim" before Hashem to enter the covenant is renewed every single day through Krias Shema, when all the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael are gathered together as one. Such an assembly endures only when it is a gathering for the sake of Heaven, undertaken to accept the yoke of malchus Shamayim and to bear witness to Hashem Yisbarach. He draws out a two-way bond: by joining oneself to the klal one enters Hashem's covenant, and by accepting the covenant one is drawn into the achdus of Bnei Yisrael. The Torah warns that whoever blesses himself in his heart and breaks away is set apart by Hashem and falls out of the collective whole. All the more so, since Hashem's measure of good outweighs His measure of punishment, one who accepts the yoke of the covenant surely merits to be included within the klal of Yisrael.