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Daily Chizuk #1207
Weekly Parasha
Mission from Circumstance: Every Neshama has a Role
Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech: Grab the Opportunity
In the beginning of parashat Vayelech. Moshe tells the people, today I am 120 years old, לא אוכל עוד לצאת ולבוא– I am no longer able to go out and come in. On the surface level, it sounds like Moshe was saying due to his old age he could no longer lead the people. However, Rashi writes, we know from a pasuk at the end of parashat V’zot Haberacha that Moshe remained strong and vibrant up until his last breath on this earth. Therefore, the interpretation of this pasuk is that Moshe was telling them he was no longer able to be their leader only because Hashem told him his time was up.
We are now in the most spiritual time of the entire year. The month of Elul is auspicious for spirituality. Everything we do counts more. Our prayers are more readily accepted. What may take dozens of tefilot to accomplish during the rest of the year can be accomplished now with much fewer. Our learning is worth more, our mitzvot are worth more.
We still have one week left of Elul. Tonight is the final Shabbat of the year. Let us take advantage and keep it the way it is supposed to be kept. This year on Rosh Hashanah there is no shofar on the first day because it will be Shabbat. The shofar is what arouses the mercy of Hashem during judgment. If we treat Shabbat the way it is supposed to be treated, then Shabbat will advocate on our behalf and arouse Hashem’s mercy instead of the shofar. This Shabbat is extremely important. If we haven’t kept it until now the way we are supposed to, we can still fix it. We should accept upon ourselves to do our utmost to honor Shabbat, not to speak mundane speech, to adhere to all the halachot and learn extra Torah. This opportunity is still here. Let us grab it while we have it.
Shabbat Shalom!
In the beginning of parashat Vayelech. Moshe tells the people, today I am 120 years old, לא אוכל עוד לצאת ולבוא– I am no longer able to go out and come in. On the surface level, it sounds like Moshe was saying due to his old age he could no longer lead the people. However, Rashi writes, we know from a pasuk at the end of parashat V’zot Haberacha that Moshe remained strong and vibrant up until his last breath on this earth. Therefore, the interpretation of this pasuk is that Moshe was telling them he was no longer able to be their leader only because Hashem told him his time was up.
We are now in the most spiritual time of the entire year. The month of Elul is auspicious for spirituality. Everything we do counts more. Our prayers are more readily accepted. What may take dozens of tefilot to accomplish during the rest of the year can be accomplished now with much fewer. Our learning is worth more, our mitzvot are worth more.
We still have one week left of Elul. Tonight is the final Shabbat of the year. Let us take advantage and keep it the way it is supposed to be kept. This year on Rosh Hashanah there is no shofar on the first day because it will be Shabbat. The shofar is what arouses the mercy of Hashem during judgment. If we treat Shabbat the way it is supposed to be treated, then Shabbat will advocate on our behalf and arouse Hashem’s mercy instead of the shofar. This Shabbat is extremely important. If we haven’t kept it until now the way we are supposed to, we can still fix it. We should accept upon ourselves to do our utmost to honor Shabbat, not to speak mundane speech, to adhere to all the halachot and learn extra Torah. This opportunity is still here. Let us grab it while we have it.
Shabbat Shalom!
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