D’var Torah: Vayelech 2025/5785 וילך
Rachel Ordan, Grade 6 Jewish Studies/Grade 8 Beit Midrash
This week’s parsha, Vayelech, is the shortest parsha in the entire Torah (only 30 psukim), yet it has a big impact. It opens by telling us that it is Moshe’s 120th birthday, the day of his death, and describes Moshe and God’s encouraging words to Yehoshua, the new leader of Bnei Yisrael, “chazak v’amatz,” “be strong and resolute.” These words become a refrain, appearing again at the beginning of the Book of Joshua as he is about to lead the people into the land of Israel for the first time.
It is a time of great uncertainty for the nation. Their beloved leader of 40 years has just passed, and they are going to a new place after wandering in the desert their entire lives. This generation does not remember Egypt themselves, just the stories they learned from their parents about the miracles, receiving the Torah, and how the report of the spies was scary and they were punished for not trusting God. Chazak v’amatz is such a compelling message that King David borrows the line when writing Psalm 27:14 “Chazak v’ameitz libecha, v’kaveh el Adonai.” “Look to the LORD; be strong and of good courage! O look to the LORD!” This tehilla is said every morning from the beginning of Elul through Hoshana Raba, the period of repentance in the Jewish calendar. What is the connection between Parshat Vayelech and the Days of Awe?
The pasuk before can offer us a clue. Tehillim 27:13 says, “Had I not the assurance that I would enjoy the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living…” This is a weird pasuk because it trails off at the end, not completing the thought. This gives us a window into some of the anxiety the psalmist must have been feeling about not being able to truly know God’s intentions. This explains the connection David is drawing between uncertainty and Joshua. In the Talmud, in Masechet Brachot 5:7, the rabbis explain that there are four actions that require us to be "chazak v'amatz:" Torah, good deeds, prayer, social duties. It asks why we know this, and quotes both the book of Joshua and Psalm 27 as supporting evidence.
The message that the rabbis are teaching us is that even though we cannot always tell if God hears our prayers, there is value in continuing to believe and pray anyway. Right now when the world may seem hopeless and there are no guarantees, our tradition reminds us that having the courage to keep going is enough. Shanah tovah, and may we all be inscribed for a year of peace.
