Why Are We All Standing Together?
Parashat Nitzavim speaks about all the Jewish people standing together before Hashem.
The question is: why does Hashem not judge everybody separately? Why does He not judge the tzaddikim alone and the other people separately?
Everyone is judged, but Hashem brings all of Israel together before Him.
The Tzaddikim Protect Am Yisrael
Everyone is judged, but Hashem judges all of us together so that the tzaddikim protect the others.
The merit of a tzaddik does not end with his lifetime. The good that he did and the influence he left among the Jewish people continue to bring him merit. We continue to learn from the tzaddikim and from what they did.
Their light is so strong that the darkness can seem like nothing beside it. This is why Hashem brings the tzaddikim together with the rest of Israel at the time of judgment: they are there to protect the people.
The tzaddikim are described as being “like lawyers” for Israel. Hashem brings them to be judged together with the people because He loves Israel and wants to protect Israel.