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Drash
for Shabbat Va'etchanan/Nachamu This weeks’ Torah portion, Va’etchanan, literally means "And I pleaded". Pleaded for what, I asked myself. In my quest to answer this question, I discovered that Moses tells the people of Israel how he pleaded with God to allow him to enter the land of Israel. As we know, God refused, instructing him instead to ascend a mountain only to look at the Promised Land from afar. At the beginning of the portion, Moses recounts "But the Eternal was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. The Eternal One said to me, ‘Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!’." It continues, "Go up to the summit of Pisgah and gaze about, to the west, the north, the south, and the east. Look at it well, for you shall not go across yonder Jordan. Give Joshua his instructions, and imbue him with strength and courage, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he shall allot to them the land that you may only see." (Deut. 3:26-28) Why would God allow Joshua to enter, only to deny Moses? Also, why would God tell Moses to instead climb a mountain to only see Israel from a distance? Why when you’re so close to your ultimate goal, where you can actually taste it, why would you be turned away? And thirdly, why would God not want to listen to Moses’ plea? Completely confused, I sought help from Rabbi Cohon. Rabbi explained to me that there are three main reasons that Moses was denied entry into Israel: the official reason, the logical reason, and the spiritual reason. The official reason is that ultimately Moses did not listen to God, and that it is critical for us to follow what God tells us to do. The practical reason is that Moses was no longer a very good leader. He was 120 years old when he reached Israel and was essentially too old to do his job. Finally, the spiritual reason is that we’re not supposed to get to the Promised Land. I must admit I was a bit puzzled by Rabbi’s ‘spiritual reason’, but he then explained that life is about the journey, not the destination. I think the spiritual reason is something that we all need to remember on a regular basis. When we’re traveling on the road of life, the occasional ‘speed bump’ is bound to happen. Each of us needs to be able to learn from those instances, and perhaps adjust our journey to ensure a smoother ride. Shabbat Shalom.
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