Parshat Shmot
by Rabbi Avi Billet
Commentaries have a field day trying
to pinpoint what was Moshe's sin that sealed his fate not to bring the people
to the Promised Land. Even the language of the Torah is inconclusive, because
when the episode of Mei Merivah (Bamidbar Chapter 20 – the "Rock
incident") took place, Moshe and Aharon are informed they will not
"bring" the people to the land. It is only later that they are told
they too will not "enter" the land (Bamidbar 20:24 , Devarim 1:37 and 4:21
(referring to Bamibar 14:30 ?),
Devarim 32:52).
In Moshe's case, he pleads to at
least merit to be buried in the Land, a request which is summarily denied.
There are reasons suggested for why he needed to be buried in the Mountains of Moav, and why his gravesite needed to overlook the area where the sin of Ba'al
Peor took place (Bamidbar 25).
Regardless, when one looks at the
sources, it seems plainly clear that Moshe's non-entry into the Land has nothing to do with the Rock incident. The flaw there, as described in the
Torah, is one of leadership. He may have wanted to go in to the land, even as a
private citizen. Alas, one can argue that being informed at that time that he
will not be bringing the people in to the land, is more likely a nice way of
saying what has been known all along. "You can't lead them, because you
won't be going in. At all. Ever."
In the beginning of Devarim, Moshe
pins the reason on the event of the spies (1:37 ),
which predates the Rock incident. This "reason" for not entering the land is advanced by Abravanel. But is the spies incident the real first
indicator that Moshe will not enter the land?
According to the Gemara Sanhedrin
(17a), Eldad and Meidad (Bamidbar 11) prophesied that Moshe would die and
Yehoshua would lead the people into the land. This episode predates the spies.
The Chizkuni offers two
interpretations on Bamidbar 10:29, when Moshe says to his father-in-law,
"We are traveling to the land. Come with us!" Either Moshe was tying
his fate to everyone else to keep their spirits up; they should not think they
are not entering the land, just because their leader will not be entering. Or,
perhaps Moshe was saying that to convince Yisro to come along; he would
otherwise think that if Moshe is not entering the land, how could he enter the
land? [See Rashi there, where he strangely brings up the question of Moshe's entry, claiming it predates any decree. If this announcement predates any decree, Rashi, then why bring it the not-yet-existent decree?]
This approach follows Rashi's
thought from our parsha, which I'll get to in a moment. But the interpretation
of Chizkuni indicates Moshe knew, as he was encouraging everyone to go to the
land, that he would not be entering. This predates Eldad and Meidad.
One of Rashi's last comments on our
parsha (Shmot 6:1) quotes a passage from Sanhedrin 111a in which Moshe is told
by God, "Now you'll see what I am going to do to Egypt, but you will not
see what I am going to do the kings of Canaan." This predates the Exodus
and the plagues.
Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch comments
on the strange hotel incident of 4:23 -25,
where Rashi says God sought Moshe's death for not having circumcised Eliezer:
"God's plans are dependent on no man… No man – not even Moses – is indispensable
to God." In other words, even Moshe might have died at that point – before
he even got to Egypt .
Commentaries focus on Moshe's
objection to becoming the leader in 4:13 ,
where Rashi explains Moshe's complaint to mean, "Send in the hands of the
one who will bring them to the land, because it is not my destiny to bring
them."
Rabbi Obadiah Bartenura notes the
nuance in Rashi's words as he explains, "How could it be suggested that
Moshe knew the decree that he would not enter the land? One could suggest he
thought he would enter the land, but he knew he would not be the leader at that
time. 'It is not my destiny to bring them in to the land' is not the
same as 'It is not my destiny to enter the land.' He thought he would enter,
just as leader emeritus." [This notion is contradictory because it suggests he will not lead - which is first told to him in Bamidbar 20...]
The other indicator is implied from
a midrash in Devarim Rabba on Vayelech in which a "measure for
measure" punishment is associated with a parallel word utilized by Moshe
and by God. When Moshe is told he will die, God says to him, "Hen karvu
yamekha lamut" (הן קרבו ימיך למות) – indeed your days are numbered until your death. Moshe had
said about the Israelites, in 4:1, "V'hen lo ya'aminu li" (והן לא יאמינו לי) – indeed
they will not believe me, that You sent me. The similar use of the word
"Hen" (הן) – Moshe speaking ill of the Israelites, and God speaking ill of
Moshe's destiny (that he'll die and no longer lead) may indicate a measure for
measure punishment, that Moshe is not worthy to be the leader until the end.
While the question of Moshe leading
versus entering the land alone seems to have not been clarified until later,
the indications are that from the get-go, Moshe was not going to see the job
through to the end.
It is a little deflating. But it is
also a very powerful message, that not every person needs to finish everything
in a lifetime. When our time is up, hopefully we will have lived a life in
which that which we built can be continued by others. We may have picked up
from those who came before us as well. But if the project is set in motion and
can be finished by a capable successor, we have done pretty well.
We know what Moshe's job was, and
now we know that he wasn't a failure who didn't bring his job to its
conclusion. His job was to get as far as he got. And while he may have wanted
to go further, his not making it further is no indication of failure. On the
contrary, he fulfilled his destiny to the utmost.
May we all be so lucky!
דברים רבה (וילנא) פרשת ואתחנן פרשה ב
ReplyDeleteא"ר לוי אמר לפניו רבש"ע עצמותיו של יוסף נכנסו לארץ ואני איני נכנס לארץ אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא מי שהודה בארצו נקבר בארצו ומי שלא הודה בארצו אינו נקבר בארצו, יוסף הודה בארצו מנין גבירתו אומרת (בראשית לט) ראו הביא לנו איש עברי וגו' ולא כפר אלא (שם /בראשית/ מ) גנב גנבתי מארץ העברים נקבר בארצו מנין שנא' (יהושע כד) ואת עצמות יוסף אשר העלו מארץ מצרים קברו בשכם את שלא הודית בארצך אין אתה נקבר בארצך כיצד בנות יתרו אומרות (שמות ב) איש מצרי הצילנו מיד הרועים והוא שומע ושותק לפיכך לא נקבר בארצו.
דברים רבה (וילנא) פרשת ואתחנן פרשה ב
ReplyDeleteא"ר לוי אמר לפניו רבש"ע עצמותיו של יוסף נכנסו לארץ ואני איני נכנס לארץ אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא מי שהודה בארצו נקבר בארצו ומי שלא הודה בארצו אינו נקבר בארצו, יוסף הודה בארצו מנין גבירתו אומרת (בראשית לט) ראו הביא לנו איש עברי וגו' ולא כפר אלא (שם /בראשית/ מ) גנב גנבתי מארץ העברים נקבר בארצו מנין שנא' (יהושע כד) ואת עצמות יוסף אשר העלו מארץ מצרים קברו בשכם את שלא הודית בארצך אין אתה נקבר בארצך כיצד בנות יתרו אומרות (שמות ב) איש מצרי הצילנו מיד הרועים והוא שומע ושותק לפיכך לא נקבר בארצו.
אור החיים במדבר פרק יא:י
ReplyDeleteובעיני משה רע. כי יקפיד האיש על מעשה ידיו, וצא ולמד ממה שנאמר בשמואל (תענית ה ב) שחסרו מימיו שלא יראה ברעה אשר תמצא את שאול, וכמו כן רע על משה מעשה בלתי הגון של ישראל. עוד ירצה על זה הדרך שרע בעיני משה מה שחרה ה' אפו מאד כל כך, וכמאמרם ז"ל (ספרי ח"א צ"ה) שהראה ה' למשה פורענות שעתיד להביא ואמר לפניו רבונו של עולם וכי הגון הוא שתתן להם בשר ותהרגם וכו' עד כאן: