Moshe went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, opposite Yericho, and Hashem showed him the whole landDeuteronomy 34:1 (The Israel Bible™)וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה מֵעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב אֶל־הַר נְבוֹ רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי יְרֵחוֹ וַיַּרְאֵהוּ יְהֹוָה אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץHear the verse in Hebrewva-YA-al mo-SHEH may-ar-VOT mo-AV el HAR n’-VO ROSH ha-pis-GAH a-SHER al p’-NAY y’-ray-KHO va-yar-AY-hu a-do-NAI et kol ha-A-retz
A Joyous Completion
This verse is taken from the weekly Bible portion V’Zot Habracha, the final portion of the Torah. In it, Moses blesses each of the tribes, as is customary in the Bible for parents to bless their children before dying. When Moses is done, God instructs him to ascend the mountain where he will survey the land before being “gathered to his fathers”. Finally, the Torah ends with a reckoning of what it was that made Moses so unique.This portion is read today, on the holiday of Simchat Torah, in which the Torah reading cycle is completed and restarted, amid much joyous celebration.
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