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(ד) תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃
(4) When Moses charged us with the Teaching As the heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
Summary
The Torah’s final parashah, VeZot HaBerakhah ("And this is the blessing") is read each year on Simchat Torah. In this portion, we read about Moses’s final farewell to the people of Israel and his death.
Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, Moses has given speeches to the people of Israel recounting their 40-year wandering in the desert and reiterating the laws they’re expected to follow. Now, as his final words to the people, he blesses each of the tribes (excluding the tribe of Simeon). Moses then ascends Mount Nebo, sees the land of Canaan, and dies at the age of 120. The people of Israel mourn, leadership is passed to Joshua, and the portion ends by highlighting Moses's unparalleled greatness.
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Going Deeper
Learning from Moses
Moses has been a central figure throughout the bulk of the Torah, and now, after his narration throughout the book of Deuteronomy, we hear of his death. What lessons can we take into our own lives from Moses’s life story? In an essay on the parashah, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks lists eight different values for us to learn, including a lesson about youth and old age. See Essays in Ethics: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, VeZot HaBerakha.
Blessings First
What is Moses’s final act before his death? According to Da’at Zekenim, a Torah commentary compiled from the writings of French and German tosafists (talmudic commentators writing in the 12th–14th centuries), he went to great lengths to ensure his ability to bless the people of Israel before his final farewell — including a run-in with an angel. See Da'at Zekenim on Deuteronomy 33:1.
Connecting the Haftarah
The haftarah for VeZot Haberakhah (Joshua 1:1–18), which is read on Simchat Torah, picks up exactly where the Torah leaves off: God appoints Joshua as the new leader and tells him to be “strong and resolute” before describing the plan for crossing into the land of Israel.
Questions for Reflection
- VeZot HaBerakhah recounts Moses's view of the promised land from Mount Nebo. What might be the significance of Moses seeing the land, even though he’ll never enter it?
- Moses gives a unique blessing to each of the tribes he blesses before his death. What can these different blessings teach us about the value of having a diversity of strengths in a community?
- According to Rabbi Sacks (referenced above), Moses stayed committed to his ideals throughout his life. How can we keep our sense of justice and idealism strong as we get older?