If Moses was an Olympic athlete, he would be the one who excels at all the trials and then gets
injured before the events begin. Or better yet, the athlete who aged out of competition because
of the pandemic. Standing at the foot of the Promised Land, he can see in, but he can’t cross
over. Everything he has been working for his whole life is in reach, but impossible to attain. In
this week’s Torah Portion Vetchanan, he makes his final, desperate plea to God: “I beg you let
me cross over to see the good land beyond the Jordan” (Deuteronomy 3:25).
As the Tokyo Olympics begin this Shabbat, we can’t help but sympathize with the thousands of
athletes whose hopes and dreams hang in the balance. Only a small fraction will find the Gold
medals they seek. After years of training and preparation, it is humbling to know just what is at
stake.
The lesson of Moses’ life, is that sometimes just reaching the Steps of Moab is enough. Moses’
hard work and determination may not have been enough to propel him over the finish line, but it
was enough to propel all of us. If only all of us could travel back in time to this week’s Torah
portion, we could share with Moses just what a profound impact his life’s journey had on us. In
all of our books’ he is a true Olympian.
Shabbat Shalom! Enjoy the Games!
Rabbi Alex