Vayeilech: Where Was Moshe Going?

This Torah class is brought to [music] you by torahanytime.com. >> Good evening, friends. We have two parshas this week, Vayeilech Moshe, Moshe went. Where'd he go? Nowhere else in the whole Torah does it say Moshe went, Vayeilech Moshe. Where's he going? He went somewhere? Where's the destination? It's absent, doesn't say. One thing we know is it was the last day of Moshe's life. And yet the Torah still says he was going. Translate the word literally, Vayeilech. And he went. This is something Moshe did perpetually. He was always going. He was always going mechailel el chayo. He was always going from one level to the next. He never stopped. Even on the last day of his life that he said lo yuchal lavoi, lo yuchal lavoi latzeis u'lavoi, I can't learn anymore. Hashem took away Torah from him. Still Moshe Rabbeinu, he's always going. He's going. He's going. He's going. He never stopped going. It's a description of Moshe. It's his greatness. The Torah's testifying Moshe was always going. We have a similar pasuk. Vayikach Korach. Remember that pasuk? And Korach took. What did he take? Doesn't say. It's missing. The Torah leaves out what Korach took. Rashi's bothered. He took himself. No, it's a description. You know what Korach did? He perpetually took. Vayikach Korach. He was always taking. He was taking. He was taking. He was taking. He was taking. And he took too much. And he destroyed himself. But Moshe Rabbeinu, it's the last day of his life and he didn't stop growing. Look two psukim before. We have a very interesting mitzvah. U'vacharta bachayim. Vacharta u'vacharta bachayim. Choose life. Is this one of the 613 mitzvot? Does Rambam count uvacharta bachayim as one of the 613 mitzvot? No. It's not. It's a concept. There's something [snorts] called bechira chofshit. It's a It's an idea. It's a concept that nobody is compelled to do a mitzvah, to do an aveira. You always have free choice. Rabbeinu Yonah learns it's one of the 613 mitzvot in the Torah. Uvacharta bachayim. So, what's the mitzvah? What's the mitzvah of uvacharta bachayim? So, says Rabbeinu Yonah not in Shaarei Teshuvah and in Sefer Shaarei Avodah, the mitzvah is to aspire for higher levels. To always want higher levels. You're davening a certain way, you should want to daven better. You're learning a certain way, you should always want to learn better. There's a mitzvah in the Torah always to want more, more ruchniyot, more tefillah, more Torah, more chesed. Aspiration for ruchniyus. It's a mitzvah. In other words, before you open up the Gemara, you know what the mitzvah is? To want to learn the whole thing. You may or you may not or you may not, but at least you should want to. So, it comes out the pesukim flow very beautifully. Hashem gives us the mitzvah, uvacharta bachayim, aspire for greatness. You should shoot for the stars. You should want to reach the highest levels. And immediately, what does the Torah say? Vayeilech Moshe, Moshe went from one level to the next level, to the highest level. You know, the good part about being a guest here is maybe you won't invite me back. Could be. So, therefore, I could remind you we're in Chodesh Elul. This is Beit HaKnesset. You can't bring a phone into a Beit Knesset. You're not allowed to. Not a flip phone, not a smartphone. This is not um a area of entertainment. It's not an area of communication. It does not belong in a Beit Knesset. It doesn't matter you're an engineer, you're a doctor, sorry, you're a lawyer, you're a You're the >> [laughter] >> You're a rabbi. You could have a very long beard, you could have a short beard, you could have no beard. It doesn't matter. There are no exceptions. If you're a doctor and you're on call, you could ask the rabbi if you have permission to bring it. I would say no. Get a beeper. You can't bring a phone into a shul. It's too disturbing. >> Can I can I just speak for a few seconds? I'm going >> Yeah, one second when I'm done. Yes. That's my word. >> You've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by TorahAnytime.com.