Parashat Vayeilech
וַיֵּלֶךְ · Deuteronomy 31:1-30, portion 9 of 11 in the book of Deuteronomy.
Next reading
The year after
What happens in Vayeilech
Moses, now 120, tells the people he will not cross the Jordan and that Joshua will lead them into the land. He encourages Joshua before them all, writes down the Torah and gives it to the priests. Every seven years, at Sukkot after the sabbatical year, it is to be read to the whole people. God tells Moses the people will one day stray, and Moses is told to write a song as a witness. It is the shortest portion, thirty verses.
וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֶל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל
“And Moses went and spoke these words unto all Israel.”
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Reading this Shabbat?
Candle-lighting and havdalah times for every major city in Israel are on the Shabbat times pages, and the festival calendar lives under Jewish holidays.
Frequently asked questions
When is Parashat Vayeilech read in 2027?+
On Shabbat 25 September 2027 (23 Elul 5787), in Israel and in the Diaspora alike. The year after, it is read on 16 September 2028.
What is Parashat Vayeilech about?+
Moses, now 120, tells the people he will not cross the Jordan and that Joshua will lead them into the land. He encourages Joshua before them all, writes down the Torah and gives it to the priests. Every seven years, at Sukkot after the sabbatical year, it is to be read to the whole people. God tells Moses the people will one day stray, and Moses is told to write a song as a witness. It is the shortest portion, thirty verses.
Why is Vayeilech sometimes read together with Nitzavim?+
Most years have fewer free Shabbatot than portions: a festival that falls on Shabbat takes that Shabbat's reading, and a year without a second month of Adar is about four weeks shorter. So some neighbouring portions are read together, and Vayeilech with Nitzavim is one of those pairs.