How Will Redemption Unfold? Parashat Nitzavim Reveals 8 Stages

Our sages explain that this week’s portion, Parashat Nitzavim, contains all the prophecies found in the books of the prophets.

The Rambam writes: “These matters explicitly stated in the Torah encompass all the things said by all the prophets.”

The Ramban likewise writes: “These matters promise the future redemption more completely than all of Daniel’s visions.”

The Torah describes the close connection between the mitzvah of teshuvah undertaken by the Jewish people during exile and the future redemption. This is the purpose of exile: to repair the sins of the Jewish people and heal the sorrow of the Shechinah.

One of the verses states this explicitly: “And Hashem your God will return your captivity and have mercy on you.” Our sages explain that the verse says “return,” rather than “bring back,” because when the Jewish people went into exile, Hashem went into exile with them.

The Zohar expresses this idea: “Come and see: whenever Israel is in exile, the Shechinah is with them in exile, as has already been established.”

The Eight Stages of Redemption

In Parashat Nitzavim, the Torah details eight stages of the future redemption: receiving the punishment of exile as a result of sin; the compelled repentance of the Jewish people in exile; the ingathering of the exiles to the Land of Israel following repentance; inheriting the land and receiving goodness; rising from repentance motivated by fear during exile to repentance motivated by love upon returning to the Land of Israel; vengeance against the enemies of Israel; completing the process of repentance by accepting the yoke of the Torah and mitzvot; and finally, receiving Hashem’s blessing in every area of the Jewish people’s work and existence.

These stages of history are described explicitly in the Torah:

1. Receiving the Punishment of Exile as a Result of Sin

The first stage is exile and punishment as a result of sin:

“And it shall be, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse that I have set before you.”

2. The Compelled Repentance of the Jewish People in Exile

The second stage is the Jewish people’s repentance while still living among the nations:

“You will take it to heart among all the nations where Hashem your God has banished you. And you will return to Hashem your God and listen to His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and all your soul.”

3. The Ingathering of the Exiles to the Land of Israel

Following repentance in exile comes the ingathering of the Jewish people:

“And Hashem your God will return your captivity and have mercy on you, and He will return and gather you from among all the nations where Hashem your God has scattered you. Even if your dispersed ones are at the ends of the heavens, from there Hashem your God will gather you, and from there He will take you.”

4. Inheriting the Land and Receiving Goodness

The fourth stage is the Jewish people’s return to their land and the goodness that follows:

“And Hashem your God will bring you to the land your ancestors inherited, and you will inherit it; He will do good for you and make you more numerous than your ancestors.”

5. Rising From Repentance Motivated by Fear to Repentance Motivated by Love

The fifth stage marks a deeper spiritual transformation. The Jewish people rise from repentance motivated by fear during exile to repentance motivated by love after returning to the Land of Israel. The entire Jewish people returns to their Creator:

“And Hashem your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love Hashem your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.”

6. Vengeance Against the Enemies of Israel

The sixth stage is Hashem’s judgment against those who persecuted the Jewish people:

“And Hashem your God will place all these curses upon your enemies and upon those who hate you, who pursued you.”

7. Completing the Process of Repentance

The seventh stage is the completion of teshuvah through accepting the yoke of the Torah and mitzvot:

“And you will return and listen to the voice of Hashem, and you will perform all His mitzvot that I command you today.”

8. Receiving Hashem’s Blessing

The eighth and final stage of redemption is Hashem’s blessing in every area of the Jewish people’s work and existence:

“And Hashem your God will grant you abundance in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your land, for good; for Hashem will again rejoice over you for good, as He rejoiced over your ancestors.”

The Torah’s Promise of Redemption

In other words, redemption will come when the Jewish people do teshuvah.

The Rambam expresses this remarkable promise in Hilchot Teshuvah (Chapter 7, Law 5): “All the prophets commanded repentance, and Israel will be redeemed only through repentance. The Torah has already promised that, in the end, Israel will repent at the end of its exile, and they will immediately be redeemed.”

As proof, the Rambam cites the verses above:

“And you will return to Hashem your God and listen to His voice... And Hashem your God will return your captivity and have mercy on you... and He will return and gather you from among all the nations where Hashem your God has scattered you.”

Parashat Nitzavim therefore does more than describe redemption as a distant future event. It lays out the process step by step, from exile and teshuvah to the ingathering of the Jewish people, their return to the Land of Israel, spiritual renewal, and ultimately Hashem’s blessing. The Torah promises that the exile will not last forever. The Jewish people will return, and redemption will follow.