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Vaetchanan (2026)

Shabbat Vaetchanan


Dvar Torah: The Power of Prayer
At the start of this week’s portion, Vaetchanan, we meet Moses at his most human and vulnerable. He reveals to the people that even after it was decreed that he wouldn't cross into the Promised Land, he refused to give up and prayed that G-d let him in anyways

This entreaty is consistent with a famous principle of prayer taught in the Talmud (Brachot 32b) that even if our prayers are refused, we should not give up, but double down. When we talk to G-d, tradition gives us license to refuse accepting a "no" as final.

And yet, the door still remained closed.

My father often pointed out a haunting nuance in the text. Moses recounts "Vaetchanan” lit. "And I pleaded" in the singular. Moses was the only one begging.

In another famous passage, the Talmud (Brachot 8a) explains that there is a theological "time of favor" for prayer. This moment is not random but created when we come together as a congregation in prayer. The prayer of a group standing shoulder to shoulder is qualitatively different from an individual irrespective of their stature.

The story of Moses last-ditch prayer challenges us both to claim our license for resilience in our relationship with G-d, as well as to engage in the power of communities. When we struggle, the participation of those around us in our challenges is of the utmost significance – both physically and metaphysically.

Shabbat Shalom!




  

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