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 “going”… this time 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”,
which literally means “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), while the people themselves
will own to the fact that, “have not these evils come upon us because our Elohim
is not among us?” (v.17b italics added). Clearly, while the people are
‘engaging’ with false deities YHVH, Yisrael’s Elohim, cannot be present
among them!
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, most times inadvertently, 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 again, in verses 28, 29, if compared to verse 12, 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). Whereas the first gathering is of the entire people, the second is
addressing only the ones with leadership responsibilities. Thus, if the first
“gathering” does yield the desired results it will become necessary for the
second one to take place.
* “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 also part of the word)
Leave (singular)
ozev (m.)
ozevet (feminine)
Leave (plural)
ozveem (m.)
ozvot (f.)
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