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The end is nigh

Parshas Vayelech is essentially Moshe’s last speech to Bnei Yisrael regarding their conduct and faithfulness to HaShem. How did Moshe know that this was going to be his last speech? The Ohr Hachaim (31:1) writes that the opening words ‘vayelech moshe’ hint to the fact that when a tzadik is about to die he can feel part of his neshama departing. The words vayelech moshe mean that part of Moshe went – part of his neshama left him. This is how Moshe knew he was about to leave this world. Another explanation of the words vayelech moshe is that Moshe went into the camp of the people (he left the Levites camp where he resided) to take leave of them, like someone who is leaving his friend and wants to ask permission to do so (Ramban). Indeed, we see that even in his final days, Moshe was always on the move – he was always growing and shedding his spiritual light upon others. Moshe was the ultimate holech.