Parshat Vezot Habracha: The Weekly Parsha Story Illustrated by AI

Hello children. This week's Torah portion is bizot habraa. This is the last portion in the Torah. A very special portion that is read on Simha Torah. When we finish the entire Torah, we start again from the beginning. This portion is the farewell of Mosha to the Jewish people in which he gives each tribe a special blessing before his death. The portion begins with the words, "And this is the blessing with which Moshe, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death." Before Moshe blesses the tribes, he begins with words of praise to God, saying, "God came from Si and shone like the sun, appeared from Mount Piran, and came with myriads of holy angels, from his right hand, a fiery law." What is Moshe describing here? He is describing the giving of the Torah. He describes how God came from Mount Si with all the honor and holiness to give the Torah to the Jewish people. It is like a sun that rises and illuminates for the entire world. The Jewish people follow God and the Torah. Moshe commanded us the Torah and it is the inheritance of the Jewish people. Now Moshe begins to bless the tribes. He begins with Ruvan, the firstborn son of Yakov, and says, "Let Ruvan live and not die, and may his tribe be numerous." [Music] Why did he receive such a blessing? Rashi explains that Ruven sinned with Bilha and Moshe, our teacher, blessed him that he would not die because of that sin. Now, we move on to the tribe of Yehuda. Moshe blesses Yehuda that he should merit leadership. Yehuda is the tribe from which the kings will come. David, Solomon, and Moshe bless him that God will hear his prayers and send him help in battles. Now, the blessing of Levy, the priest and the Levites to Levy, Moshe gives a long and special blessing. The tribe of Levy was so devoted to God that when it was necessary to stand up for justice, like with the golden calf, they were willing to fight even against their own family. That is incredible devotion. And therefore they will be the priests and teachers of the Jewish people and God will bless them and protect them. The blessing of Binyamin to Beyamin he said beloved of God. The meaning is that Beyamin is beloved by God. God protects him all day long. Why is Binyamin so beloved? Because the temple was built in his territory. To Yseph Moshe gives a very long and special blessing because Yseph saved the whole family from famine. And to Yseph he said, "God will bless your land and give you the best of the crops." This is an amazing blessing. Yseph will receive tremendous blessings from nature. Rain, crops, fruits, and his sons Ephraim and Manasha will be strong in battle and greatly multiply. To Zealoon, he said, "Rejoice Zealoon in your going out and Yesahar in your tents." What does this mean? Zealoon will be a tribe of merchants and seafarers. They will go out to sea and engage in trade. Yahar will be a tribe of Torah scholars. They will sit in tents and study Torah. Zulu will support Yahar financially and Ysahar will study Torah on behalf of them both. Now we've reached Gud. Gud in Aramaic means luck. Gud received an inheritance on the other side of the Jordan and they were strong warriors who helped conquer the land. They also had the merit that Moshe was buried in their territory. About done. Moshe blessed that it would be a tribe of strong judges like Samson the mighty who would leap upon their enemies and defeat them. The blessing of Naftali, abundance and beauty. Naftali will be a happy and blessed tribe receiving a beautiful inheritance by the sea. The blessing of Asher, oil and happiness. Asher will be a very wealthy tribe with plenty of olive oil and also precious metals. He will also remain strong in old age. After blessing all the tribes, Moshe gives an amazing general blessing to the entire Jewish nation. The Lord is the most unique God in the world. He will protect you and help you. You will live in safety and peace. You will be a special and happy people. You will defeat all your enemies. Moshe finished blessing the people and as soon as he finished, he went up to Mount Nevo, which is opposite Jericho. At that moment, God showed Moshe the entire land. Gilead as far as Dan, all of Naftali, the land of Ephraim and Manaksh, and all the land of Yehuda as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Nav, and the Valley of Jericho, the city of Palms as far as Zohar. God showed Moshe all of the land of Israel from above. He was privileged to see the entire beautiful land that the Jewish people were about to inherit. And God said to Moshe, "This is the land that I swore to Abraham, to Yitsuk, and to Yakov, saying, I will give it to your descendants." Now came the saddest moment in the Torah for the Jewish nation. God commanded Moshe to lie down, to close his eyes, and in a single moment, he took his holy and pure soul. Without suffering, without pain, the farewell from the great and fearless leader. God buried him in the valley opposite Beth Peor. And no one knows his specific burial place to this day. Why does no one know where Moshe is buried? So that people would not make his grave into a place of idol worship. Moshe was strong and healthy like a young man even at the age of 120. The Jewish people mourned Moshe for a full 30 days. This showed how much they loved him. The Torah ends with an exceptional description. There was never a prophet like Moshe to whom the creator of the world revealed himself face to face. And now the verse that concludes the Torah and all the strong hand and all the great awe which Moshe performed before the eyes of all Israel. And then we begin again from the start. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Why? Because the Torah is not a story that ends. It is life. Every time we finish it, we discover new things. Just as Moshe said, "For it is your life." On Simhhat Torah, we rejoice that we have this holy Torah that always accompanies us and shows us how to live a proper life, a good and happy life. We have finished, but in truth, we are actually beginning again from the start. Now, you know not only the stories of the Torah, but you are learning how to live them. Every portion you study is like a special map that shows you how to become a better person. The Holy Torah is the guidebook for the life of the Jewish people. Remember, every mitzvah you fulfill makes you a living part of the great story of the Jewish people. You are continuing the path that our holy ancestors began. Keep learning, growing, and lighting up the world with the light of the Torah. Thank you for being with us. We'll meet again in the portion of beer sheet. [Music]