Holding On and Letting Go

The Dual Message of Nitzavim and Vayelech

As we approach the Yamim Nora’im, everyone is talking about teshuvah—it’s the theme of the times and central to the parshiyos. But there’s another message in the names of these parshiyos that we may be missing.

Nitzavim—we were all there, standing together, listening to Moshe. At that moment, every Jewish soul throughout history was present and entering into the bris with Hashem. This isn’t only about our ancestors; it’s about all of us, right now, standing firm in our connection to Hashem and to each other.

Then we reach Vayelech, where Moshe tells us he won’t be going with us into Eretz Yisrael. His journey is ending, with the leadership passing to Yehoshua. It’s a moment of transition. More than Moshe’s departure, this is about what comes next for us. The message is clear that we need to move forward by taking everything we learned in the midbar and using it to build our future in Eretz Yisrael.

Turns out, it wasn’t a smooth transition. After Moshe’s passing, Yehoshua forgot 300 halachos that Moshe taught him—infuriating the nation. They demanded that Yehoshua ask Hashem to restore these halachos, but Hashem refused, stating that “the Torah is not in Heaven.” The situation was so tense that Yehoshua’s life was at risk, as some people were ready to kill him. Hashem had to intervene and commanded Yehoshua to take the people into Eretz Yisrael immediately before things got worse.¹ Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky explains that because they entered the land slightly prematurely, their time in the land was fraught with challenges, as seen throughout Neviim Rishonim.² The move to Eretz Yisrael wasn’t just a geographical move—it was a spiritual and national transformation, and it didn’t go perfectly.

Today, we’re in a similar place. After millennia of wandering, we’ve returned to Eretz Yisrael. But the question is: are we ready? Have we internalized the lessons of our history? Or are we still standing, hesitant to move forward into our destiny? Are we in a state of Nitzavim, or are we ready for Vayelech?

When these parshiyos are read together, Nitzavim and Vayelech almost blur into one message. Nitzavim is about standing still, being rooted in our mesorah, and holding on to our unshakable identity. Vayelech is about movement, embracing change, and stepping into the future. These two messages are not contradictory—they’re actually complementary. In order to grow, we need to both: stand firm in our values and move forward. Thereby bringing those values into new, sometimes challenging, realities.

Whether we’re already in Eretz Yisrael or still scattered around the globe, our eyes and hearts should be focused on coming home to Eretz Yisrael—physically and spiritually. Meaning to say, living in the land combined with living in a way that reflects the complete tikkun, fulfills Hashem’s vision for the world.

This is the essence of our tefilla: השיבנו ה’ אליך ונשובה חדש ימינו כקדם—"Lead us back to You, Hashem, and we will return; renew our days as of old." True teshuvah is more than a personal return to Hashem, it is a collective coming home to our true selves and to Eretz Yisrael. True teshuvah is our yearning for a renewal of our relationship with Hashem and a return to the closeness we once had. After we achieve that closeness, the entire world will follow suit and recognize Hashem as well. 

May we experience the joy and peace we yearn for in the tefillos of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur which is indeed the ultimate goal — that all humanity recognize Hashem as the sole Creator.

The transition from Nitzavim to Vayelech happens in just a single breath—are you ready to take that step?

1. Temura 16a

2. Emes L’Yaakov - Vayelech