Vaetchanan

"I pleaded with Hashem at that time, saying... Let me please cross over and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan." (Devarim 3:23-25)

Parshat Vaetchanan begins with Moshe Rabbeinu begging—vaetchanan—to enter Eretz Yisrael. After forty years of leading Am Yisrael, after dedicating his life to them, Moshe is told that he will not cross the Jordan. But he does not accept this decree passively. He prays. Not once, not twice—Chazal say he prayed 515 times.

And yet, Hashem says no.

Why does the Torah tell us this? What is the lesson in showing us Moshe’s unanswered tefillah?

Because Hashem does not want us to stop davening, even when the answer seems to be no.

Moshe knew that Hashem had decreed he would not enter the land. But he still pleaded, still begged, still tried. Because tefillah is not just about asking for things—it is about connection. It is about never giving up, about holding on to the belief that Hashem hears every word, even when we do not understand His response.

And this is why, right after this moment, Moshe turns to Am Yisrael and tells them: "You shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might." (Devarim 6:5)

Even when the answer is not what we hoped for. Even when life does not go as planned.

Vaetchanan is a parsha of holding on.

Moshe cannot enter the land, but he does not turn away from his mission. Instead, he strengthens Am Yisrael, reminding them of the Aseret HaDibrot, giving them Shema Yisrael, preparing them for what lies ahead.

Because sometimes, the greatest test in life is not whether we get what we want—it is whether we keep moving forward even when we don’t.

This is our challenge.

Do we stop davening when things get hard? Do we let go of our emunah when we don’t see the results? Or do we, like Moshe, keep pleading, keep holding on, keep believing?

Because Hashem hears every tefillah. And even when we do not see it, every tefillah brings us closer to where we are meant to be.