The Holiness of Letting Go
Parshat Vayelech; Deuteronomy 31:1–30
What makes a life truly meaningful? In Parshat Vayelech, Moses stands before the people on the last day of his life and says, “Today I am one hundred and twenty years old. I can no longer go or come, and the Lord said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan’” (Deuteronomy 31:2). At first glance, his words sound like a simple admission of age and frailty. Yet the Torah later tells us, “His eye had not dimmed, nor had he lost his [natural] moisture” (Deuteronomy 34:7)—Moses was still vibrant and strong. So what did he mean by saying he could no longer “go and come”?
Chabad Chassidus offers a profound insight: life is not a flat path, but a journey filled with ups and downs. The Alter Rebbe, founder of Chabad, explains in Tanya and elsewhere that “a descent for the sake of an ascent is not merely to return to where one started, but to rise to a place even higher than before the descent.” The setbacks and struggles we encounter are not simply random obstacles or cycles that leave us unchanged; they are opportunities to propel us to new spiritual heights.
Moses, the ultimate spiritual climber, recognized that as long as there was potential for growth—another ascent after a descent—his mission continued. But on his final day, he sensed that the cycle of rising and falling had come to its natural close. There were no more plateaus to break, no new heights to reach. “I can no longer go and come,” he declared, signaling not weakness, but the holiness of letting go. Moses models for us the sacredness of recognizing when a journey has truly reached its end and accepting it with clarity and peace.
For the rest of us, the lesson is clear: as long as we are alive, G-d is inviting us to keep climbing. Feeling “stuck” or on a plateau is not a sign our story is over, but a call to move forward. Sometimes, a challenge or setback pushes us out of complacency. Though uncomfortable, it is never pointless. The descent is only meaningful if it leads us to an ascent greater than anything we’ve known before.
The Torah’s wisdom is both challenging and comforting: true vitality comes from movement, risk, and resilience. Remaining safe but stagnant is, in a sense, a kind of spiritual death. Only those willing to step off the plateau can discover how much higher they’re meant to climb.
So, if you sense you’ve stopped growing, take it as a gentle push. Life’s journey is not finished yet. Embrace the bumps, drops, and unexpected turns—they may be your invitation to rise higher than you ever imagined.
May this week bring you the courage to leave your comfort zone, the faith to see setbacks as stepping stones, and the strength to keep moving upward—always ascending toward greater light and connection.
I wish you a good week and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yonatan Hambourger