Parsha Vayeilech
September 27, 2025/5 Tishrei 5786
Shabbat Shalom friends:
If I needed to summarize the parsha of Vayeilech in a brief phrase, it would be “passing the torch”. Moses formally calls Joshua and instructs him before all the people of Israel to be strong, trust in G-d, and go with the people into the land. But it goes beyond that, both back and forward in time.
Reaching back in time, this point is connected to the Avos, our forefathers, as G-d tells Moses that he will lie with his forefathers, but this is only in a spiritual sense, even his body does not enter the land. Going forward, not only does Moses pass the torch to Joshua, but he also wrote the Torah and gave it to the Kohanim, Leviim, and all the elders of Israel. In Pirkei Avos, the Chapters of our Fathers, the first Mishnah states that Moses received the Torah at Sinai, and transmitted it to Joshua, who then transmitted it to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly.
What did he transmit? We just read that he gave them the written Torah, but the transmission of the Torah refers to the Oral Law, the teachings of our forefathers, not only the Rabbinical ordinances, but our history, culture, and traditions. Today, we hold the 13 principles of faith as compiled by the Rambam to include that Moses was the father of prophets, those before and after, that our Torah today is the same, and that it will never be exchanged for another.
A few congregants asked me why I went over to my boys and covered us all with my tallis during Birchat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing. The reason for this custom is to avoid looking at the Kohanim as they recite the blessing, and as the children do not have a tallis, to keep them from looking as well. But more than that it is about bringing them into the tradition. My father did the same for me (until I was too old to fit) and I do the same, bringing us closer (quite literally, and it can get warm under there) and thereby strengthening the traditions.
As we go to shul this week of Shabbat Shuva, the Sabbath of Repentance, at the beginning of a new year, let us remember that we are the keepers of 5786 years of greatness and we have a lot to live up to. We pray for strength as it says in Vayeilech (31:8) “and it is G-d that goes before you…do not be afraid…”.
Rabbi Josh
If I needed to summarize the parsha of Vayeilech in a brief phrase, it would be “passing the torch”. Moses formally calls Joshua and instructs him before all the people of Israel to be strong, trust in G-d, and go with the people into the land. But it goes beyond that, both back and forward in time.
Reaching back in time, this point is connected to the Avos, our forefathers, as G-d tells Moses that he will lie with his forefathers, but this is only in a spiritual sense, even his body does not enter the land. Going forward, not only does Moses pass the torch to Joshua, but he also wrote the Torah and gave it to the Kohanim, Leviim, and all the elders of Israel. In Pirkei Avos, the Chapters of our Fathers, the first Mishnah states that Moses received the Torah at Sinai, and transmitted it to Joshua, who then transmitted it to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly.
What did he transmit? We just read that he gave them the written Torah, but the transmission of the Torah refers to the Oral Law, the teachings of our forefathers, not only the Rabbinical ordinances, but our history, culture, and traditions. Today, we hold the 13 principles of faith as compiled by the Rambam to include that Moses was the father of prophets, those before and after, that our Torah today is the same, and that it will never be exchanged for another.
A few congregants asked me why I went over to my boys and covered us all with my tallis during Birchat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing. The reason for this custom is to avoid looking at the Kohanim as they recite the blessing, and as the children do not have a tallis, to keep them from looking as well. But more than that it is about bringing them into the tradition. My father did the same for me (until I was too old to fit) and I do the same, bringing us closer (quite literally, and it can get warm under there) and thereby strengthening the traditions.
As we go to shul this week of Shabbat Shuva, the Sabbath of Repentance, at the beginning of a new year, let us remember that we are the keepers of 5786 years of greatness and we have a lot to live up to. We pray for strength as it says in Vayeilech (31:8) “and it is G-d that goes before you…do not be afraid…”.
Rabbi Josh
