כלי יקר — וילך משה / לא אוכל עוד לצאת ולבוא

Q — 'וילך משה' — every commentator struggles with this opening, because no destination is given. Where did Moshe go?

A — Kli Yakar refuses to fill in a destination. Moshe didn't go *somewhere* — he went, period. The act *was* the message. Moshe was about to tell Bnei Yisrael 'לא אוכל עוד לצאת ולבוא,' but 'לא אוכל' is ambiguous: either 'I am physically unable' or 'I am not permitted' (the same construction as 'לא תוכל לאכל בשעריך' — Devarim 12:17). With Yehoshua now formally appointed, the correct meaning is 'I am not permitted' — Moshe's vigor is intact. So Moshe walked briskly in front of all Yisrael, demonstrating that his strength was undiminished. Only after that demonstration could 'לא אוכל' land correctly: 'I'm not permitted,' not 'I'm not able.' The aimless walk has a destination — it's the *demonstration* itself.