While last
week’s Parashat Nitzavim (“standing” as compared to “and he went/walked”)
focuses on the “crossing over” of the Hebrew people, Parashat “Va’yelech”
starts with… the “going” of Moshe: “va’yelech Moshe,” that is
“and Moses went,” and continues with: “and
spoke these words to all Israel” (31:1). These words of introduction, “Moses
went,” regarding the statements that the elderly leader was about to make to
his compatriots is quite curious. Was it a hint of his impending departure, and that he was
ready to proclaim this fact to all Yisrael? Indeed Moshe continues: “I am a
hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come
in. Also YHVH has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan
But whereas Moshe will not be
accompanying the people, he consoles them saying that “YHVH your Elohim will
cross before you” – which is once more the familiar “over” (a.v.r – the
root of “Hebrew”).* “He will destroy these nations before
you,” and in addition Yehoshua will also “go – pass, cross - “over” -
before you” (v. 3). Verses 6, 7 and 8, spoken to Yisrael and to Yehoshua
summarize all of the above: "’Be strong and of good courage, do
not fear nor be afraid of them [the people of the land]; for YHVH your Elohim
is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake
you.’ Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel
The third expression which is repeated
in the above passage: “He will not fail you nor forsake you” is, “lo yar’pecha,
ve-lo ya’azovcha.” “Yar’peh” – translated “fail” - is
rooted in r. p/f. h (resh, pey/fey, hey), meaning to “become weak, let
go, be negligent, or remove.” In Tehilim (Psalms)
46:10 it says, “Be still and know that I am YHVH.” However, in Hebrew the
rendering is “harpu,” literally “let go,” or “become weak.”
Because YHVH will not “let go” of His people, they are the ones who must do the
“letting go” and become “weak” before Him, and in so doing they will know that
He is the Elohim who alone can give them strength. Shaul (Paul) echoes this
when he says: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power
is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore I will
rather glory in my weakness, that the power of Messiah may
overshadow me” (2nd Corinthians 12:9 italics added). The next
verb (of the above-mentioned expression, “lo yar’pecha ve-lo ya’az’vecha”);;is azav (ayin,zayin,bet/vet),’’and’’means,//leave, abandon or
forsake.” It is also
used elsewhere in our Parasha, although in a different connotation, as we shall
see at once.
Thus verses 16 and 17 of Dvarim 31
record: “And YHVH said to Moses, ‘Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers.
And this people shall rise up and go lusting after the gods of the strangers of
the land into which they are going, into their midst. And they will forsake Me
– ve’azavani - and break My covenant which I made with them. Then My
anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them
- ve’azavtim…’” (Italics added). Verse 5 reveals to us that there is a
condition for being preserved by YHVH: “…do to them [the nations in Cna’an
- Canaan ) according to all the
commandments which I have commanded you,” to not “go lusting after [their]
gods,” thereby forsaking the true One. Nevertheless, in verse 16 we read that,
“This people shall rise up…” which is “ve’kam.” In
Parashat Nitzavim, (Deut. 29:13) it said: “…that He may establish you today for
a people to Himself…” which is literally “that He may raise you up…
- hakim.” Hence, it is the very people, whom YHVH was raising
up – establishing - who “shall rise up and go lusting
after the gods of the strangers…” (italics added).
In the two examples above (and in many
similar ones throughout the Tanach, some of which we examined very recently),
we see the usage of identical words, or derivatives of the same root for the
purpose of conveying contrasting messages. This method highlights or enhances
an idea, and at times adds a touch of irony and a moral to the story or the
description at hand.
YHVH is commanding Moshe to call on Yehoshua
in order for both to “present” themselves in the Tent of Meeting
(31:14); a command which is designated by the imperative “(ve-hit)yatzvu,”
of the root y.tz.v that we encountered in Parashat “Nitzavim”. In presenting himself,
therefore, Yehoshua is to make a “firm stand” and a commitment.
Further connection to Parashat Nitzavim
is evident in the concept of “witness” – testimony “ – “ed,” masculine, and
“eda,” feminine. In the previous Parasha heaven and earth were mentioned as
witnesses (30:19). Now the “Song” (which constitutes the following Parasha),
the book of the Torah, and heaven and earth (again) are singled out as
witnesses. The “Song,” in particular, is to “testify as a witness” against the
people, “when many evils and troubles have found them” (31:21). “Testifying”
in this particular case is “an’ta” (of the root a.n.h – ayin, noon,
hey), meaning to “respond or answer,” as according to
verse 19 the “Song” will be “in the mouths of the Children of Israel.”
Therefore when they recite this Song, their own words shall “respond” to, or
echo, their evil actions and become a testimony against them. This brings to
mind Parashat Nitzavim’s: “the word is very near you, in your mouth and
in your heart, so that you may do it” (30:14 italics added), which
is the other side of the same proverbial coin. Another usage of “ta’aneh,”
“respond,” in relationship to “witness” is found in Sh’mot (Exodus) 20:16 and
Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 5:20, where it says: “You shall not bear – “ta’aneh”-
respond” - a false witness against your neighbor.” In view of this, we may ask:
are the things that we say and do but mere responses, or answers bearing
testimony to a ‘Primary Moving Cause’ (be it YHVH or the adversary)?
In verses 10-11 we read: “And Moses
commanded them, saying, ‘at the end of seven years, at the set time of the year
of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel has come to appear
before YHVH your Elohim in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this
law before all Israel in their hearing.’” The word for “read” is “kara”
(k.r.a, kof, resh, alef), meaning to "read, recite, call.”
At the end of the Parasha, in verse 29, it says: “For I know that after my
death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have
commanded you. And evil will happen to you in the latter end of the
days…” Moshe predicts that “evil” will “happen to you,” which
is rendered here ve’karat, and shares the same root as the
aforementioned “kara” (“read”). However, as a rule the spelling for “happen” (albeit
of the same sound as “read” or “recite”), is different and therefore has
another root. Thus, the special rendering and spelling of “happen” in
this particular case incorporates, as it were, the verb for “reading.”
Hearing the Torah read, while turning away from it and from its
Giver will result in evil befalling or happening to
those who know better yet choose to rebel against its Giver (and against their
own better judgment).
Finally, the ironic vein makes its appearance in
verses 28, 29 if compared to verse 12, doing so by the usage of the verb “gather”
in its imperative form. In the first instance it is the command to gather all
the “people, men and women, and little ones, and the stranger… that they may
hear and that they may learn to fear YHVH your Elohim and carefully observe the
words of this Torah” (that is in the 7th year gathering at Succot).
In the second instance, “all the elders of your tribes, and your officers” are
to be gathered “that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven
and earth to witness against them”. The object of this present gathering is in
order to predict that after Moshe’s death “You will become utterly corrupt, and
turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in
the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of YHVH, to provoke Him
to anger through the work of your hands" (verse 29).
* “Over” is pronounced like “overt,” minus
the “t” sound.
Hebrew Tools for Everyday Use
From Parashat Va’yelech we will glean
several useful verbs. “Going”
(or “walking”) and “leaving” are the
first obvious ones, being used
in the Parasha in the same way. From
the unique usage above of the verb
“to testify” we will ‘borrow’ its other
meaning, as we saw above, which is
“to answer”. In the same way, we will
‘take advantage’ of the unusual
spelling of “happen” with its
connection to “read” or “call”.
He called: “Don’t go!”
Hu kara: “Al tel’chi!” (feminine, i.e.
he is addressing a female)
She called: ”Don’t go!”
He kar’a: ”Al telech!” (masculine, i.e.
she is addressing a male)
We (masculine) are reading Hebrew
Anach’nu kor’eem Ivrit
We (feminine) are reading Hebrew
Anach’nu kor’ot Ivrit
There are Israelis that leave the land
Yesh Yisre’elim sheh’ozvim et ha’a’retz
(“sheh” – that – is part of the word.
Ha – the – is part of the word)
Leave (singular)
ozev (m.)
ozevet (feminine)
Leave (plural)
ozveem (m.)
ozvot (f.)
