'And Moshe went and spoke these words unto B'nei Yisroel...' (Devarim 31:1). Where exactly did Moshe go when he went to proclaim the message of Parshas Vayeilech? The Ramban writes that Moshe went to Machane Yisroel - the main Israelite encampment - to pay homage to the nation prior to his death with the words of our parsha. Other Mefarshim (commentators) suggest alternative explanations. However, Targum Yonasan ben Uziel provides a most unusual interpretation: that Moshe Rabbeinu went to his beis medrash (hall of Torah study) in order to teach the lessons of this week's parsha. This seems somewhat odd; let's try to understand it.

Although Parshas Vayeilech features many topics, its main theme is that K'lal Yisroel (the Jewish People) would in the future forsake Hashem's covenant and be punished to such an extent that the nation would be subject to a state of Hester Panim - 'Concealment of God's Face (or Presence)' - such that God's hand in Jewish destiny and everyday life would not be discernable. The parsha adjures K'lal Yisroel to write and recall Shiras Ha'azinu (the Song of Ha'azinu), wherein these dire predictions and the nation's history and destiny are to be found, such that Jews living through the period of Hester Panim can maintain their faith and understand that the circumstances of Hester Panim and the nation's punishments are all justified and are part of Hashem's plan.

The parsha does contain several seemingly unrelated additional topics and perplexing nuances. The mitzvah of Hakhel, wherein the entire nation congregates in the Beis Ha-Mikdash to see and hear the Melech (King) read portions of Sefer Devarim, is found in the middle of our parsha. So, too, is the succession of leadership by Yehoshua discussed, as is the completion and preservation of the Torah and the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah. It is clear that the themes of Torah transmission and study form an important undercurrent throughout the parsha.

It may be suggested that this motif - the continuity of Torah - is actually at the heart and core of Parshas Vayeilech and is in fact the parsha's main message. We read, 'And it shall be that when these numerous and evil afflictions befall it (K'lal Yisroel ), then this Shirah shall proclaim before it as a witness, that it not be forgotten from its progeny...' (31:21) While the standard interpretation of this pasuk is that Shiras Ha'azinu will serve as testimony to the Jews during times of Hester Panim that the situation is divinely-ordained, and that Shiras Ha'azinu is a critical part of the nation's heritage, one can offer an alternative understanding of the verse, such that the Shirah refers to Torah, thereby indicating a very different message. (Interestingly, the parsha utilizes the word 'Shirah' interchangeably in reference to Shiras Ha'azinu and the Torah. See 31:19 and ibid. v. 21, 22 and 24 with Rashi and Gemara Shabbos 138b.) In this light, the pasuk assures the Jew who lives through the difficult and trying times of Hester Panim that he can survive and endure only by turning to Torah, the Jew's eternal refuge and fountain of life, which shall always be perpetuated through Jewish progeny. When the presence of the Living God cannot always be perceived in Jewish destiny, we are instructed that we can find and relate to Hashem through immersion in the vivifying words and concepts of Torah, as the Gemara says: 'Since the Beis Ha-Mikdash was destroyed, Hashem only has in His world the four amos (cubits) of Halacha', meaning that when God's Presence cannot be directly perceived, one can experience God only through His Torah.

This explains the motif of the continuity of Torah which permeates the parsha, and it enables us to truly understand the approach of the Targum Yonasan ben Uziel. In the view of the Targum, Moshe Rabbeinu went to the beis medrash to teach the lessons of Parshas Vayeilech precisely because the beis medrash is where the parsha's message is centered. By way of example, Moshe proclaimed, 'When evil and Hester Panim befall you, go to the beis medrash and immerse yourselves in Torah, for that is the one and only place where you will find solace and experience kedusha. By attaching yourselves to Torah will you find life and maintain your spiritual vision, escaping the utter confusion of everyday life and attaining meaning and clarity of God's hand in your destiny.' Moshe went to the beis medrash to deliver the message of Parshas Vayeilech, as that is the only locus where its message has true meaning.

Throughout history, the Jewish communities in Golus (the Diaspora) which remained the strongest were not particularly those blessed with great wealth or political clout; rather, the most vibrant, enduring and firmly-grounded kehillos (communities) were those in which Torah learning was central and top-priority. The Jewish People's commitment to a dynamic and holy vision and its ability to remain steadfast to its faith and identity while in Golus cannot be secured or achieved by financial, political or cultural factors; only by attachment to Torah can the Jew and his nation persevere and experience a relationship with God, piercing through the veil of Hester Panim and living with the Shechinah.