Today as we begin the new parasha of Vayeilech, and I know my reaction is highly inappropriate given that it begins with Moshe talking about how he can no longer "go out" in front of the people at his 120 years of age, there is extreme joy in reading that "H' your G-d, [H'] will cross before you; H' will destroy these nations from before you and you shall possess them." Devarim 31:3.
There is something so awesome and awe-inspiring about the fact that in our religion, H' and H' alone is going out before us and taking action. That we don't need to worry. That as long as we are in full alignment with G-d, G-d will truly - to use a phrase so overused at this point - "take care" of the rest. And not only take care of it but literally clear the entire pathway and do all the dirty work, leaving us only needing to "possess" the reward.
And at the same time, despite my earlier jubilant attitude, there is something so deeply sad about the fact that Moshe, after all of his toil, will not be around to experience the greatest of those joys - the crossing over. At least not in the lifetime we read about here, which surely would have been the sweetest for him. (Perhaps his soul is alive with us today, knowing it to be Moshe's reincarnation, and doing mitzvot in the holy land, though - that redemption would perhaps be even sweeter.)
But turning back to the original attention-grabber - this is a belief system (and even then, that is so weak - perhaps we should be saying trust system or knowledge system) that places no intermediaries - that even in the same verse mentioning both Moshe and Yehoshua, there is still a clear indication that H' will be leading the charge, doing the destroying and laying the groundwork.
The best part of Torah is that it is quite literally the living Torah - Moshe said so himself just last week (that those standing with him today include those alive as well as those not alive). We need to know that whatever is said in Torah is equally applicable to us today as well.
So, as we head into this sweet, brand new year - amen! may the Jewish people prosper and be healthy and may the entire world head strongly and more confidently and more prominently into relationship with the Divine - the feeling of Torah being spoken today, at this very instant, is extremely strong. Why? Because Moshe told us so but also because I know it - in the very deepest part of my core - to be true as well.
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