פרשה: האזינו · עלייה: שביעי (מלכות)

הוא והושע בן נון, "he and Joshua son of Nun." Although Joshua stood beside Moses, G'd's word came only to Moses, as is plain from the words וידבר ה׳ אל משה in verse 48. Although Moses had added the letter י to Joshua's name in Numbers 13,16, this was in order to lend him prestige vis-a-vis Israel. When G'd mentions Joshua's name, it remained unchanged as it was not appropriate to make him look prestigious vis-a-vis his teacher (Compare Isaiah 10, 15: "Is the axe going to boast in the presence of the wood cutter?").

בעצם היום הזה לאמור. "on that very day, saying." Moses was to tell the people that he would ascend the mountain in order to die. This corresponds to what Sifri explains on the word בעצם that on the three occasions when this word appears it reflects G'd's determination not to be interfered with. In this instance the Israelites had threatened to physically prevent Moses from ascending the mountain to die there.

ומת בהר, "and die on the mountain." G'd wanted Moses to be willing to die. G'd does not remove the souls of the righteous from their bodies unless they agree. G'd added והאסף אל עמיך, "and be gathered in to your people," this is an allusion to what the Talmud says in Ketuvot 104 that the righteous in the hereafter come out to welcome the righteous who is about to join them. G'd told Moses he was going to be met by a reception committee.

We may also understand this as one of the three reasons G'd supplied for the death of a man of Moses' calibre. The meter of the whole verse is something like this: ומת, "and die;" the reason this was to occur on the mountain may be explained on the basis of Sotah 14. The Talmud wanted to know why Moses was buried on the mountain of Nebo and concludes that it was because of the sin of Baal Pe-or. As long as Moses would be able to look down on that idol from his grave he could hold its power in check. This is why the Torah makes a point in 34,6 to tell us that Moses' grave is opposite the temple of Pe-or. A second reason why G'd told Moses "which you are ascending," was to enable him to amass certain spiritual wealth which it would have been impossible for him to attain by the performance of good deeds on this earth as long as his soul was fused to his body. The word אשר is a reference to the celestial regions. The third reason is introduced by the words והאסף אל עמיך, "and be gathered in to your people." We can understand this in light of Bamidbar Rabbah 19 interpreting Deut 33,21 ויתא ראשי עם. "He came at the head of the people." According to this Midrash the generation of the desert would merit to partake in the resurrection only due to Moses being buried on the East Bank of the Jordan, just as they were buried there. The people considered Moses one of their very own as per Exodus 32,7 "Go on down for your people have become corrupt." The operative word here is עמיך i.e. that in order to save his people at the time of the resurrection Moses had to die here and now. While it is true that the Torah employed a similar expression at the time Aaron died, this does not prevent us from using this verse exegetically.

על אשר מעלתם בי, "because you trespassed against Me, etc." Please compare my comments on Numbers 20,12 where I have elaborated on all this.

כי מגגד תראה את הארץ, "For you will see the land from a distance, etc." The meaning of the verse is similar to 34,1 "He showed him the entire land." Please study my commentary on that verse.

ושמה לא תבא, "but you will not enter there." It is difficult to understand why, after having already told Moses that he would not enter the land, the Torah would repeat the words "to the land, etc." Perhaps we can best understand this by a reference to Devarim Rabbah 2 that in the future Moses together with the patriarchs would enter the Holy Land. In the Zohar volume two page 120 it is stated that Moses would appear at the head of this whole generation of Israelites who had perished in the desert when the redemption would take place. This is why when the Torah said: "you will not enter there," G'd was afraid that anyone who heard this would conclude that Moses would never enter the Holy Land. By limiting the denial of Moses' entrance to "the land which I am about to give to the children of Israel," G'd corrected such an impression, and made certain that the people understood that Moses was only denied entry at this time (compare my comments on Deut. 3,25: "please let me cross").