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PARSHATH ZOTH HaBRAKHAH
Commentary
OVERVIEW
This is the last parsha of the Book of D'varim and the entire Torah. It takes place during the last few moments of Moshe Rabbeinu's life. Moshe offers a blessing to each of the tribes of Yisrael. The custom of offering final blessings before one departs the world is not new, as we saw this with the patriarchs as well.
While Moshe is exceptional in being told the exact date of his death, and thus being able to make preparations for it, it is not uncommon, even today for great Tsaddikim to offer blessings moments before their death. According to our tradition, forty days before one dies (I believe this is limited to a natural death), his soul begins to separate from the body. A particularly sensitive individual, that is one who has developed spiritually and thus is "in-tune" with his soul, can feel this separation taking place.
The following are two illustrations of this phenomenon [In regard to the first story, please excuse me if I get a few facts wrong, as I only heard the story once, orally, but from an impeccable source]. Rav Gets, z"l, was the Rosh Yeshiva of the Kabbalist Yeshiva Bet El in the Old City of Jerusalem. He had worked diligently to restore the yeshiva's building after the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. The Jordanians, along with all other Jewish buildings and symbols, had made every effort to completely remove any trace of its existence (It had been established in 1740).
It took until the early 90's before the building was restored. A dedication ceremony was scheduled and many dignitaries from around the world were invited to attend. The ceremony was to take place on a Sunday; however, Rav Gets son (who had planned the event) received a curious phone call from his father a week before the planned event.
Rav Gets pleaded with his son to move the ceremony to the preceding Thursday. Citing the obvious logistic difficulties, his son protested, but following the dictates of Honoring one's father, he acquiesced and set about contacting all of the invitees. Soon, with difficulty the ceremony was moved to the earlier day. After the dedication ceremony, Rav Gets thanked his son, and offered him his Holiday Tallit as a token of his appreciation. He then blessed his son before leaving the yeshiva.
The next day, Friday, Rav Gets slipped into a coma and he died on Sunday.
The next story concerns my mother-in-law's grandfather. She remembers vividly as a little girl, how one evening (the man was in his late nineties and had never been to the doctor), the entire family went to visit him because he had been a little sick (as in, he had a cold) the last few days. The grandfather then blessed each one of his many children and grandchildren and said Sh'ma Yisrael. His voice trailed off and one of his sons' finished the sentence for him, thinking that his father had fallen asleep. However, upon checking, he found that it was the sleep of death. He had peacefully said goodbye to all of his loved ones and then to the world.
Each one of Moshe's blessings of the tribes is unique and reflects the tribe's unique character. The blessings are similar to those that Yaakov bestowed on his son's (the progenitors of the tribes), but it is of course, the differences that are the subject of most commentaries.
The blessing is followed by a description of Moshe ascending the Mountain, and HaShem showing him the length and breadth of Yisrael's inheritance. Then the text simply states, "Moshe died there … by the mouth of HaShem." Some commentaries suggest that this means that God "kissed" Moshe, taking his soul, Himself (as opposed to the Angel of Death), while others interpret the phrase to mean, that had God not commanded Moshe to die, he was on such a spiritual level that he could have lived forever.
We then learn that "He" buried Moshe, whom most commentators identify as God, Himself, for there was no one else who could have buried him, especially considering the next part of the verse which says, that no one knows his grave to this day. Moshe was 120 years old, to the day when he died, and Yisrael mourned his death for thirty days in the desert of Moab.
The Torah then concludes, telling us both that Yohoshua had the spirit of wisdom upon him, but at the same time there was never, nor will there ever be a prophet like Moshe in Yisrael.
IN DETAL (A selection of some verses of interest):
33:2 - "HaShem, from Sinai came, and rose from Se`ir and shined from Paran…"
Citing Sifre, Rashi tells us that we learn from this that Moshe offered the Torah to the sons of `Esav (who lived in Se`ir) and the sons of Yishmael (who lived in Paran) before offering it to the Children of Yisrael. Both of these nations refused to accept the Torah because of some of the laws contained within. The midrash tells us that these laws were contrary to the very nature of these two peoples. Yisrael accepted the Torah, however, we did so unconditionally and not before examining what it contained. We learn in Sefer Sh'mot that we said, "We will do and we will hear/understand" at the foot of Sinai. We took the Torah on faith, and in doing so endeared HaShem to His people.
33:2 - "At his right hand was a fiery law [eshdat]…"
Midrash Tanhuma understands this word to mean that Torah was "Black Fire on White Fire," while the Targum understands the word to mean that Torah was given to Yisrael out of the fire. [See "The Torah of Fire" in Articles]
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach teaches, "Fire in this world destroys. Fire from Heaven rebuilds and strengthens. The fire that destroys is the fire from the Romans, from this world, from Western civilization, from coldness, from not caring from knowing everything."
33:3 - "All of His Holy Ones are in your hand…"
Rashi, citing a verse in Shmuel, suggests that this means that the souls of the righteous are kept in store with HaShem until the End of Days. While this is a suitable explanation for the phrase, it does not explain the shift in pronouns from "His" Holy Ones to "your" hand.
The beginning of the verse states, "He loves the nations…" "Nations" are understood to be, by most commentators, referring to the various tribes.
If this is so, I would humbly suggest that one might render the verse, "He (God) loves the tribes of Yaakov; All of His (God's) Holy ones (the righteous) are in your (the peoples') hands." This can mean either that, amongst the people there are many righteous, so Moshe's death should not overly trouble them, or it is within each tribes ability to produce and foster God's righteous ones.
33:7 -"Hear HaShem, the voice of Yehudah…"
Rashi explains that this is requesting that HaShem listen to the prayers of Kings David, Shlomo, Asa, and Hizkiyahu (all who come from the tribe of Yehudah) concerning the defeat of their enemies.
33:9 - "Who said of his father and mother, 'I have not seen him."
This is understood to mean that the Levites did not recognize even close family relations when enacting the vengeance for the Golden calf.
33:21 - "Because there is a portion hidden …"
We learn from this that Moshe's grave is in the territory of Gad, and that it is hidden.
33:28 - "The appearance of Yaakov alone"
This suggests that Moshe's blessing is similar to that of Yaakov, wherein he promised, "God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
34:1 - "And HaShem showed him all the land …"
This is understood to mean that HaShem showed Moshe, not only the land, but the future of the Children of Yisrael, the times of peace, their champions, and their oppressors.
34:2 - "as far as the last sea…[hayam ha'aharon]"
One interpretation of this is that it refers to the Diaspora spreading across the sea to the west. Another suggests that one should read the phrases, not as the last sea, but the last day [yom], suggesting HaShem even showed Moshe the coming of the Mashiah and our eventual redemption.
34:6 - "And He buried him in the valley…"
Despite other opinions, I cannot, in all modesty, understand how this can be anyone but God Himself who buries Moshe. It should be noted that Moshe was on such a high level there probably was very little of his physical form to bury. In any event, nothing is beyond HaShem, and this shows the care in which HaShem shows his servants. In addition, if HaShem will resurrect us from the grave, why is it not plausible that he can bury us there as well? In addition, no one knew HaShem face to face like Moshe, entitling him to special honors.
It should be noted though that Rabbi Ishmael teaches that this means that Moshe buried himself.
34:6 - "No man knows his grave…"
This seems odd, since, in several places we're told its location in relative detail. However, it is taught that those who search for his grave become confused; up becoming down and left becoming right and so on. His grave is hidden for several reasons, one of which is to prevent seekers worshipping his grave in place of God.
34:5 - "by the mouth of HaShem…"
Some understand this to mean that HaShem kissed Moshe and he died. Just as HaShem breathed life into the First Man. It is taught that the Angel of Death made several attempts to take Moshe's life, but was unable to have power over him, so HaShem had to do it Himself.
Another interpretation is that Moshe died by the command of God, and had HaShem not commanded it, Moshe could have lived eternally (This explains why the Angel of Death had no power over him).
34:7 - "And Moshe was 120 years old when he die; his eyes were not dim nor was his natural force abated."
"120" is the limit HaShem placed on natural life (see Bereshit 6:3). Also, 120 is a pure number (1x2x3x4x5), which might have interesting implications.
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