Parashat Vayelech - Second Aliyah
Read the biblical text and try to understand it on your own, before reading the commentary.
Be strong and courageous
The aliyah continues Moses’ words of strengthening to Israel ahead of the entry into the land. Moses reminds the people of Sihon and of Og, who were already defeated before Israel, and presents what happened to them as an example of what is about to happen with the nations in the land as well.
Together with the promise of help from God, Moses stresses that the people themselves also have a responsibility: when the enemies are given over before them, Israel are to act according to the commandment that was given to them. That is, confidence in God does not remove the need for action and for faithfulness to what was commanded.
The aliyah ends with clear words of strengthening: the people are called on to be strong and not to fear the nations they stand against. The reason for the confidence is that God goes with Israel and does not fail them and does not forsake them.
Insights from the aliyah
The past can become a source of strength
Moses recalls Sihon and Og not only as a historical story, but in order to strengthen Israel for what lies ahead. At the level of the idea, someone standing before a new challenge can recall the places where they already came through hardship and draw confidence from them.
Confidence does not remove responsibility
God gives the enemies over before Israel, but the people still have to act and to do as they were commanded. At the level of the idea, faith is not sitting passively but a joining of confidence with action.
Fear can appear even when there is a promise
The very fact that Moses says not to fear teaches that fear is a natural response in the face of a threatening situation. The Torah does not ignore it, but answers it through memory, strengthening and a sense of accompaniment.
Be strong and courageous is a message to the whole people
The strengthening is not directed only at the leader. The public as a whole also has to build courage within itself. This teaches that a great campaign demands not only a strong leader, but also a people able to stand together.
The accompaniment of God is the source of stability
The people stand before an enormous transition, without Moses as the leader who brings them into the land. Inside that change, the point of stability is that the accompaniment of God stays constant.
Will not fail you and will not forsake you expresses continuity
Even when reality changes, and even when the leadership passes from Moses to Joshua, the bond with God is not broken. At the level of the idea, that is what makes it possible to pass through times of transition without losing direction.
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