Not because his life was too short does Moses not reach Canaan, but because it was a human life.
—Franz Kafka, in a diary entry from 1921
—Franz Kafka, in a diary entry from 1921
(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יהוה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) אדני יהוה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גׇּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃ (כה) אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֹֽן׃ (כו) וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר יהוה בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יהוה אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (כז) עֲלֵ֣ה ׀ רֹ֣אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֗ה וְשָׂ֥א עֵינֶ֛יךָ יָ֧מָּה וְצָפֹ֛נָה וְתֵימָ֥נָה וּמִזְרָ֖חָה וּרְאֵ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּי־לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֥ן הַזֶּֽה׃ (כח) וְצַ֥ו אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ כִּי־ה֣וּא יַעֲבֹ֗ר לִפְנֵי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהוּא֙ יַנְחִ֣יל אוֹתָ֔ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה׃
(23) I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, (24) “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! (25) Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.” (26) But the LORD was cross with me on your account and would not listen to me. The LORD said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again! (27) Go up to the summit of Pisgah and gaze about, to the west, the north, the south, and the east. Look at it well, for you shall not go across yonder Jordan. (28) Give Joshua his instructions, and imbue him with strength and courage, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he shall allot to them the land that you may only see.”
(א)ואתחנן. אֵין חִנּוּן בְּכָל מָקוֹם אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן מַתְּנַת חִנָּם – אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם לַצַּדִּיקִים לִתְלוֹת בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים אֵין מְבַקְּשִׁים מֵאֵת הַמָּקוֹם אֶלָּא מַתְּנַת חִנָּם, (לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן אָמַר לוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן וָאֶתְחַנַּן);
(1) ואתחנן — All forms of the verb חנן signify a free gift. Although the righteous might make a claim to reward depend Upon their good deeds, yet they solicit from the Omnipresent only a free gift. [Because He had said to him, (Exodus 33:19) “I will show grace (וחנתי) unto him to whom I will show grace”, he (Moses) when referring to his entreaty of God uses the expression (lit., spoke to Him) "I implored grace (ואתחנן)” (Midrash Tanchuma 5:2:3].
When Moses saw that the decree had been sealed against him, he went and drew a circle and sat inside it, and said: I am not moving from here until You nullify the decree! . . . He then wrapped himself in sackcloth and covered himself with ashes, and stood in prayer and supplication before G‑d until the heaven and the earth and the very laws of creation began to tremble, and said: Perhaps the time has come for God to destroy the world? . . .
What did God do at that moment? He announced at every gate of every heaven and at every gate of every court that Moses’ prayer should not be admitted . . . for the voice of Moses’ prayer was like a sword that slices and rips, and which nothing can stop . . .
Said Moses to God: If You will not allow me to enter the Land, allow me to [enter] as a beast of the field, which grazes on the grass and drinks water and sees the world that way—let my soul be as one of those!
Said God: “Enough!”
Said Moses to God: If You will not allow me to enter the Land, allow me to [enter] as a bird that flies in the air to all four corners of the earth to collect its feed, and in the evening returns to its nest—let my soul be as one of those!
Said God: “Enough!”
(Yalkut Shimoni
What did God do at that moment? He announced at every gate of every heaven and at every gate of every court that Moses’ prayer should not be admitted . . . for the voice of Moses’ prayer was like a sword that slices and rips, and which nothing can stop . . .
Said Moses to God: If You will not allow me to enter the Land, allow me to [enter] as a beast of the field, which grazes on the grass and drinks water and sees the world that way—let my soul be as one of those!
Said God: “Enough!”
Said Moses to God: If You will not allow me to enter the Land, allow me to [enter] as a bird that flies in the air to all four corners of the earth to collect its feed, and in the evening returns to its nest—let my soul be as one of those!
Said God: “Enough!”
(Yalkut Shimoni
ואתחנן אל יהוה בעת ההוא לאמור כו' (דברים ג, כג). תיבת לאמר, הוא מיותר. והנראה, דהפירוש הפסוק ואתחנן אל יהוה בעת ההוא, פירוש שהיה מתחנן תחילה כדי שיוכל להתפלל אחר כך. לאמור, פירוש הדבר שהיה צריך לאמר אלא שקודם לא היה יכול לאמר, כי היה בוש מלפניו יתברך והיה צריך להתפלל שיוכל להתפלל:
, Deuteronomy 3,23. “I pleaded with God at that time, to say:” the word לאמור after we have been told that Moses pleaded with Hashem is superfluous. In light of this, it appears that the correct interpretation of this verse "and I pleaded with God at that time" is that initially Moses’ prayed to God that he would be able to pray subsequently. "Lemor" ---this is the explanation of what he needed "to say", that is: before this he was not able to say because he was ashamed before [God may his name be blessed]and needed to pray that he would be able to pray.
או יבואר, ואתחנן אל יהוה בעת ההוא לאמר. תיבת לאמר מיותר. ונראה, דבגמרא ברכות (ט:) מסקינן דאדני שפתי תפתח, לא הוי הפסק בין גאולה לתפילה אפילו בשחרית, דכיון דתקינו ליה רבנן כתפלה אריכתא דמיא. דלכאורה הוה ליה למימר תקינו רבנן לתפילה, ........ ונמצא יש לנו ב' בחינות בתפלה. א', התפלה עצמה. והב', התפלה שיהיה יכול להתפלל. ומשה רבינו עליו השלום בודאי היה תפלתו תמיד בבחינה העליונה שבמדריגת התפלה ותמיד היה תפלתו שגורה בפיו ומקובל, אבל עתה דחזינן דלא נתקבלה תפלתו בודאי ממילא לא היה תפלתו שגורה בפיו והוצרך להתפלל שיוכל לבקש מן השם יתברך תפילתו ליכנס לארץ ישראל ושאל ממנו מענה לשון.
Another possible way of explaining the opening line of our Parshah is based on a statement in the Talmud B’rachot 9b. The Gemara concludes that the verse of "God, open my lips and my mouth will tell of your praises [psalms 51:17] is not considered to be an interruption between the concluding blessing of the Shema which is about redemption and the Amidah prayer..... Since the Rabbis established it , it is considered like a long prayer [i.e. an extended part of the Amidah]... It turns out that there are two elements of prayer: 1. The prayer itself; 2. the prayer that [a person] be able to pray. And Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him,.....needed to pray that he would be able to request his prayer from Blessed God to enter into the land of Israel and he asked him for eloquence.
אוֹחִֽילָה לָאֵל. אֲחַלֶּה פָנָיו. אֶשְׁאֲלָה מִמֶּנּוּ מַעֲנֵה לָשׁוֹן:
אֲשֶׁר בִּקְהַל עָם אָשִֽׁירָה עֻזּוֹ. אַבִּֽיעָה רְנָנוֹת בְּעַד מִפְעָלָיו:
לְאָדָם מַעַרְכֵי לֵב. וּמֵיהוה מַעֲנֵה לָשׁוֹן:
אדני, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח. וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ:
אֲשֶׁר בִּקְהַל עָם אָשִֽׁירָה עֻזּוֹ. אַבִּֽיעָה רְנָנוֹת בְּעַד מִפְעָלָיו:
לְאָדָם מַעַרְכֵי לֵב. וּמֵיהוה מַעֲנֵה לָשׁוֹן:
אדני, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח. וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ:
I shall await the LORD, I shall entreat his favor,
I shall ask Him to grant my tongue eloquence.
In the midst of the congregated nation I shall sing of His strength;
I shall burst out in joyous melodies for his works.
The thoughts in man's heart are his to arrange,
but the tongue's eloquence comes from the Lord.
O LORD, open my lips, so that my mouth may declare Your praise
Translation by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
I shall ask Him to grant my tongue eloquence.
In the midst of the congregated nation I shall sing of His strength;
I shall burst out in joyous melodies for his works.
The thoughts in man's heart are his to arrange,
but the tongue's eloquence comes from the Lord.
O LORD, open my lips, so that my mouth may declare Your praise
Translation by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
There was a time
You would never have said,
“Enough!”
A time when your passion
Burned
For me
Never consumed
Even when I was afraid
When I pleaded for release
You wanted Me
Now I am old
I did my best
Do not cast me off in my old age 1
As long as I am young, strong
Powerful
In office
Running things
People will listen to me
But what next?
When I am old
Retired
Broke
When I have stepped off the
Board
And can’t hear anymore
When my hands tremble
And maybe I make a mess when I eat
Will anyone listen to me?
Passion, perhaps, is for young lovers
And yet I love you so in my old age too.
Promises that bloomed with youth
Lay shattered with the disappointment
Of time gone by
And time running out
Now that it’s his turn
The young one
Still strong, still handsome
With a whole world ahead of him
You burn for him
And cast me aside:
Enough!
It’s not that I needed to actually enter the
Land.
It’s that I needed to know
You still want me.
by Rabbi Abigail Treu
https://www.jtsa.edu/now-i-am-old
You would never have said,
“Enough!”
A time when your passion
Burned
For me
Never consumed
Even when I was afraid
When I pleaded for release
You wanted Me
Now I am old
I did my best
Do not cast me off in my old age 1
As long as I am young, strong
Powerful
In office
Running things
People will listen to me
But what next?
When I am old
Retired
Broke
When I have stepped off the
Board
And can’t hear anymore
When my hands tremble
And maybe I make a mess when I eat
Will anyone listen to me?
Passion, perhaps, is for young lovers
And yet I love you so in my old age too.
Promises that bloomed with youth
Lay shattered with the disappointment
Of time gone by
And time running out
Now that it’s his turn
The young one
Still strong, still handsome
With a whole world ahead of him
You burn for him
And cast me aside:
Enough!
It’s not that I needed to actually enter the
Land.
It’s that I needed to know
You still want me.
by Rabbi Abigail Treu
https://www.jtsa.edu/now-i-am-old