R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Nitzavim-VaYeilekh: On Mutual Responsibility

Ta Shma · Sep 2, 2026 · 10m

At this time of year, as the High Holidays approach, we are used to thinking about our own personal responsibility. In the Yom Kippur Vidui, we worry not only about our sins that we are aware of, but even those that “are not revealed to us,” rather known to God alone. But the verse that introduces the concept of revealed or hidden sins is about not personal, but national responsibility. Since the evil of others can be even more hidden to us than our own, this introduces difficult questions. What is our responsibility for the other members of our society? And what are the limits of this…