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Vayelech (2025)

Shabbat Vayelech

Dvar Torah - Strength in Succession
When Moses concludes his final address to Israel, he is 120 years old and fully aware that the time has come to pass on and hand leadership to his disciple Joshua. The Torah begins the parsha with the phrase “Vayelech Moshe”—literally, “Moses walked.” Ibn Ezra explains this as the walk of a departing leader: a final circuit through the people, reassuring them not to fear his departure, urging instead to follow Joshua with strength and courage into the Promised Land.

It is striking that on his very last day—while standing on the eastern banks of the Jordan, close enough to glimpse the land he longed to enter but never would—Moses does not retreat into private reflection. Instead, he spends his final hours traversing the encampment, speaking to the people, encouraging and fortifying them.

In this parting act, Moses once again leaves us with an enduring model of leadership, teaching two timeless principles:

1.     Take pride in our successors and invest ourselves in their success.

2.     Fulfill our mission to the very end and do everything possible to help those in our care thrive

Trivia
The period we are now in between Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur (Wed night) is known as the “Ten Days of Repentance” which according to Jewish tradition are a period of personal and communal reflection culminating in Yom Kippur – the holiest and most solemn day on the Jewish calendar         

Shabbat in/out times
Yerushalayim 17:54/19:06
Tel-Aviv 18:10/19:08
Dubai 17:53/18:44
Amsterdam 19:11/20:17
Paris 19:21/20:25
NYC 18:27/19:25
Montreal 18:25/19:26
Denver 18:31/19:29
Buenos Aires 18:35/19:32
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