Overview of the Weekly Reading: Vayelech
To be read on 5 Tishrei 5766 (Oct.8)
Shabbat Shuva
Torah: Deut. 31:1-31:30
Haftorah: Hosea 14:2-10, Joel 2:15-27 (for "Return, O Israel")
Vayelech is the 9th Reading out of 11 in Deut.
and 52nd overall, and 53rd out of 54 in overall
length.
Vayelech
(Deut. 31:1-30) opens with Moshe telling the Jews that he has reached
the age of 120 and will not be entering the Land of Israel with them.
He summons Joshua in front of the Jewish people, telling them that he
will lead them into the land, and that they should be strong and brave.
Moshe tells them about Hakhel, that at every seven years, during
the festival of Sukkot, they should gather the men, women and children
together, and read the specified portions from the Torah. Moshe wrote
13 Torah scrolls, one for each of the tribes, and one for the Ark.
FROM THE MASTERS OF
KABBALA (K:52-65/VaYelech)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:52-65/VaYelech)
And He did more good for them in that] three holy siblings walked
amongst them. Who were they? They were Moses, Aaron and Miriam. In their
merit G-d gave Israel presents from the spiritual realms [the Manna, the
Clouds of Glory, and the well of Miriam, which nourished and prepared
them physically, enabling them to absorb the Torah.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy Ari,
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed (A:52-65/VaYelech)
At first, the good [daat] and the evil [daat] were intermixed because
of the sins of Adam and Abel, but afterwards this was rectified and Moses
was born embodying the good and holy [daat] alone. This is the mystical
meaning of the verse [describing Moses' birth:] "And she [Moses'
mother] saw him, that he was good." (Ex. 2:2)
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Rabbeinu
Bechaya (S:52-65/VaYelech)
We also find in Psalms 92, the hymn dedicated by David to the Shabbat,
that he speaks about the righteous who will flourish like the palm tree
(presumably after the seventh millennium).
The mystical dimension
of the commandment of Hakhel is that all people who exist at that time
are called to appear before G-d, the King of the universe. This is why
this commandment had to be performed by the king.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V:52-65/VaYelech)
"You have been rebellious with G-d." (31:27)
It doesn't say "against G-d," but "with G-d." With
every improper thing we do we cause G-d to be a partner. This is especially
true when we do these things in the name of a commandment or turn a
bad deed into a commandment!
(Likutim)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
MOSHIACH THIS WEEK
(M:52-65/Vayelech)
If Moshiach should appear during the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom
Kippur, it is conceivable that we will eat and drink on Yom Kippur if
it falls during the seven-day dedication of the Third Holy Temple. This
was the case with the First Temple, whose dedication began on the eighth
of Tishrei, and the people of that time ate and drank on Yom Kippur.
[Reprinted with permission from L'Chaim Magazine (www.lchaim.org).]
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here) (W:52-65/VaYelech)
In the Musaf holiday prayer of Rosh Hashanna, we pray, 'Today
is the birth day of the world. Today He will call all the creations of
the world to stand in judgment'. Jews each year celebrate the birthday
of the world on the day that Adam and Eve were created, the 6th day of
creation-and not the first when all of creation began. And just as Adam
and Eve sinned and were judged on that first day, so each year again we
are judged for our past actions and for our preparedness for the coming
year.
The section continues, 'Perhaps as children, perhaps as servants. If as
children, have mercy on us as a father has mercy on his children. If as
servants our eyes are turned to You until You will be gracious to us and
bring forth our judgment as the light. Oh Awesome and Holy One.' This
is akin to the prayer 'Avinu Malkainu'-'Our Father, our King'-written
by Rabbi Akiva that we begin saying on Rosh Hashanna and continue through
Yom Kippur (except for Shabbat).
As children we expect G-d to have mercy on us. As servants we expect that
He will graciously give us a just verdict. What does G-d as our Father
and our King expect from us? What should we be thinking when we say the
words, our Father our King from now until Yom Kippur?
While what a child does is important, a father is more interested in his
child's intentions. If a parent knows that a child's (even an adult child)
intentions are pure, then he knows he has succeeded. Even if some things
need to be improved, the corrections are easy because the core is good.
In Torah terms this is called a 'pure heart'-lev tahor.
A king demands the opposite. He does not care at all what the person
is thinking. What a king demands is action: "Do what I say and do
it now." In Torah terms this is called a 'clean garment'-levush
naki. While the soul is the source of our intentions and motivation,
it is naked. The soul's garments or expressions are our thought, speech
and action. We choose to think, speak and act properly or improperly.
As we go through the next seven days until Yom Kippur, each day has the
ability to correct all of our inappropriate actions from last year, and
bring strength and blessings for each of our weekdays of next year-remember
Avinu Malkainu. We must check ourselves and then check again that
we have a pure heart (good intentions), and clean garments (appropriate
actions).
This Shabbat is called 'Shabbat Shuva' after the first word of
the Haftorah, and because it is the Shabbat during the seven days of Teshuvah
between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. This Shabbat we read the Torah portion
'Vayelech Moshe'-'Moses walked'. The verse does not specify where
Moshe walked. The Toldot points out that these were Moshe's last minutes
before he passed away, and the Torah says he was 'walking'. Even to the
end Moshe was agile to do
G-d's will. Slowing down with age is a perception, not a reality. The
Lubavitcher Rebbe said that it is hard to imagine the great levels Moshe
reached in his last days. He 'walked' to higher and higher spiritual levels!
On the verse (31/18) 'I (Anochi) will certainly hide My face',
the Baal Shem Tov connects this to the first words of the Ten commandments,
where the word Anochi is also used, 'I (Anochi) am G-d your
Lord'. G-d is always with us, even when He appears to be hidden and even
with many layers of concealment! Just because our lives our complicated
does not mean G-d has left us!
Shabbat shalom and blessings for a good and sweet year, Shaul
P.S. Please also read my weekly Shabbat Law, below.)
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