No Ending, Only Renewal: The Final Blessing and First Step
Parshat V’zot HaBerachah; Deuteronomy 33:1–34:12
This week’s Torah portion, V’zot HaBerachah (“And this is the blessing”), doesn’t just mark the end of the Torah—it also marks the end of Moses’ journey. As Moses stands at the threshold of his final day, he gathers the tribes and offers them his parting blessings. The Torah says, “He loved the people; all his holy ones were in his hand; and they sat down at his feet; every one receives of your words” (Deuteronomy 33:3). There’s a tenderness in this moment—a sense that Moses’ leadership, anchored in love and hard-won wisdom, isn’t really ending at all. Instead, his voice carries on, woven into the very rhythm of the Torah’s eternal cycle, where every ending quietly gives way to a beginning.
What’s remarkable is that as soon as we read the last words of V’zot HaBerachah, tradition tells us to start over right away—with “In the beginning.” No pause, no time to process. The circle closes and opens in the same breath. This isn’t just a quirk of ritual—it’s a deep teaching: sof ma’aseh b’machshavah techilah, the end is wrapped up in the original intent. Our spiritual journey doesn’t move in a straight line; it loops and returns, always inviting us back to where we started, but with new eyes and a fuller heart. In this sacred circle, every conclusion is just the first step toward something new.
Moses’ blessings for each tribe are more than just words. He names their strengths, their quirks, their responsibilities. In doing so, he reminds us that we too carry gifts—talents, insights, passions—that are meant to be shared and nurtured. Like the tribes, we’re not just passive recipients of tradition; we’re active participants in an unfolding story, called to bring something unique to the world’s healing and renewal. The work is never done, but neither is the opportunity to begin again.
Jewish wisdom doesn’t promise easy progress. The Mishnah asks, “Who is wise? One who learns from every person” (Pirkei Avot 4:1). Growth can be slow, circuitous, even frustrating. Setbacks and struggles aren’t failures; they’re part of the journey, shaping us in ways we can’t always see at the time. Even our detours have value. The Talmud gives us that image of angels whispering to every blade of grass, “Grow, grow” (Berachot 5a). Life itself is urging us forward, nudging us to keep reaching, even on days when progress feels impossible.
So as we reflect on Moses’ legacy and the Torah’s endless loop, maybe the real blessing is this: the chance to start again, and again, and again. To greet each week, each year, each breath as an invitation to renewal. To notice the gifts in ourselves and in each other, and to bring them forward with courage and humility. The story doesn’t end. It just circles back, waiting for us to step in once more.
I wish you a good week and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yonatan Hambourger