Parashat Vayelech is the shortest parasha in the Torah, but its words echo with immense spiritual weight. “Vayelech Moshe”—“And Moshe went.” At the close of his life, Moshe does not stand still. He walks. Even at the threshold of departure, Moshe models movement, continuity, and courage. His steps remind us that Jewish life is never about standing in place. It is about going forward, even when the road is uncertain, even when the heart is heavy.
This message resonates profoundly when Vayelech is read during the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the Ten Days of Repentance. Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, each of us is also “walking.” We are journeying inward, reviewing our choices, seeking renewal. Like Moshe, we may sense the weight of endings—habits that must be broken, regrets that must be released—but Torah urges us not to be paralyzed. It says: Go forward. Take a step. Begin again.
The Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat of Return. Its name comes from the opening words of the Haftarah: Shuva Yisrael ad Hashem Elokecha—“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.”
On Shabbat Shuva, we are reminded that teshuva is not only about regret but about movement, about walking back into alignment with who we truly are. Teshuva is the inner journey that parallels Moshe’s outer one: a journey that may be difficult but is always possible.
The union of Vayelech and Shabbat Shuva teaches us something profound: life is not defined by where we stand but by where we are going. Moshe could no longer lead the people into the Land, but he could still walk toward them, bless them, and encourage them. Likewise, even if we cannot change the past, we can walk into a new future—one prayer, one mitzvah, one act of kindness at a time.
As we approach Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, the Torah and the Haftarah call us not to remain frozen in guilt or fear. Instead, we are called to move—to pray, to return, to believe that change is possible. Just as Moshe took those final steps in faith, so can we.
Shabbat Shuva is the invitation to take that step. To walk forward with humility, with hope, and with trust that God receives us when we return.
This week, may we all find the courage of Vayelech—the courage to go forward. And may we discover in Shabbat Shuva not only the call to return, but the joy of walking closer to God, to our communities, and to our truest selves.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Refael Cohen