MY DAILY LIFE TORAH COACH:
Parshat Vezot Ha-Berachah

Vezot Ha-Berachah is Moses’ blessing, delivered on the last day of his life, to the Israelites, tribe by tribe. It concludes poignantly with Moses’ death and his burial, seemingly by the hand of G-d, in the land of Moab, so that “to this day no one knows his burial place” (Deut. 34:6). The closing verses of the Torah are a tribute to the greatest leader and prophet the Israelites ever had, yet the ultimate accolade the Torah gives him is touching in its simplicity. He was “the man Moses”, “the servant of the G-d” (Deut. 34:5). The parsha is a profound commentary on mortality and the human condition. The Moses we encounter in the Torah is simply a human being made great by the task he was set and by the humility that made him supremely one through whom the word and power of G-d flowed.

The main theme is the role of Moses as prophet and leader.

As we are going through this hard week of 7^th October, we comprehend better the author Elie Wiesel who singles out Moses’ loyalty to the people of Israel as a sign of Moses’ greatness. Wiesel states that while he occasionally became enraged with them, he constantly rose to rescue them. “If others spoke ill of Israel, he was quick to come to its defense, passionately, fiercely…Moses defended them not only against their enemies but, at times, even against G-d…In spite of his disappointments, in spite of his ordeals and the lack of gratitude he encountered, Moses never lost his faith in his people. Somehow he found both the strength and the courage to remain on Israel’s side and proclaim its honor and its right to live.”

We stand with Israel!