Nitzavim: Terms of Service

Nitzavim: Terms of Service

If the Torah were an app, there would be a very long set of warnings and agreements ( that nobody reads).  After the  hundreds of pages of stipulations required for the use of the app ( which includes a promise land and assurance of a happy life) there would be a checkbox that asks:  [] agree? The checkbox would be in Nitzavim . It is the ask for agreement to the terms.

When a person gets chemotherapy for cancer, she must sign a consent.  This attests to having been told that the treatment could have side effects.  It is very rare for a patient to decide not sign the form and forgo the recommended treatment.  After all, the recommended treatment  (should have) considered the balance  between the risks and benefits.  The lawyers insists on the signature.

The patient cannot understand what the side effects really look like or feel like.  The doctor cannot know all of the possible side effects and can only describe the more common issues in general terms. This is another agreement in name only. It is a formalism

We  accept the Torah and the tradition with a limited understanding.  We need to consult scholars to know the laws and customs that are appropriate to the real life circumstances that arise.  There are too many books, commentaries, responsa, etc to claim that the acceptance is well informed.

The parsha tells us that the message is not foreign  or strange,  It is in the heart of the one who accepts .  And it the obligation of subscriber to do the right and the good.  Violations are grounds for the termination ...of service