V’zos HaBrachah – Peninim on the Torah

ויקבר אתו בגי

And He buried him in the depression. (34:6)

According to one exposition of Rashi, the Torah alludes to the idea that Moshe Rabbenu buried himself. Nothing is above Hashem and His relationship with Moshe. Indeed, we have no manner of fathoming our leader’s greatness. Thus, burying himself, although certainly possible, is a concept that eludes us. Perhaps, the following story might shed some light on this idea. While no mortal can possibly bury himself, he could perform acts of kindness that earn him a place of burial which, for all intents and purposes, would have otherwise probably not have occurred, as was the case in the following story….

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ויקבר אתו בגי

Sruly Schnair In 5785, V'zos HaBrachah

And He buried him in the depression. (34:6)

Moshe Rabbeinu received the ultimate reward of having Hashem attend to his death and burial. Our leader led an extraordinary life, one that established a standard for how a Jew should live. He confronted challenges, overcame personal loss, dealt with a mutiny and overcame his own physical speech impediment. He reached the epitome of service to Hashem and to his people. On Simchas Torah, we read of his mortal passing, as we conclude the annual cycle of reading the Torah. On what should be the happiest day of the year, celebrating another year of Torah study, we record the death…

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ולזבולון אמר שמח זבולון בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

Sruly Schnair In 5785, V'zos HaBrachah

To Zevulun, he said: Zevulun, rejoice in your going out; and Yissachar, in your tents. (33:18)

Apparently, Moshe Rabbeinu’s preferred style for conferring blessing differed from that of Yaakov Avinu. Our Patriarch showered his sons with long, flowery blessings. Moshe, on the other hand, sufficed with brevity. Yaakov’s blessing to Dan consisted of two pesukim, while Moshe’s a mere five words. Zevulun and Yissachar’s blessing from the Patriarch was a litany of three pesukim. Moshe’s blessing to Zevulun was not short, but the blessing he conferred upon Yissachar was a single word: B’ahalecha, “(You shall rejoice) in your tents.” On the surface we may suggest that Yaakov was addressing his sons. Thus, he did not rush…

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וזאת הברכה אשר ברך משה

Sruly Schnair In 5785, V'zos HaBrachah

And this is the blessing that Moshe bestowed. (33:1)

Torah leaders are fundamentally people with the same drives and emotions as the common man. They just exert greater control over what might sway them away from the Torah way. They live as we do. They love their children and are willing to sacrifice for them, just as we are. Their extraordinary control — born of a deep, abiding love for Hashem and His Torah — impels them to a higher plane. When Horav Meshullam David Soloveitchik, zl, married, it was an incredibly joyous affair, but also physically demanding. Therefore, after the chuppah, the Brisker Rav, zl, father of the…

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ולכל היד החזקה ולכל המורא הגדול אשר עשה משה לעיני כל ישראל

Sruly Schnair In 5784, V'zos HaBrachah

And by all the strong hand and awesome power that Moshe performed before the eyes of all Yisrael. (34:12)

The “strong hand” refers to Moshe’s receiving the Luchos, Two Tablets, which were of extraordinary weight. “Before the eyes of all Yisrael” alludes to our quintessential leader’s decision to shatter the Luchos before the eyes of the nation – an action which Hashem ratified. Moshe demonstrated his exceptional leadership ability when he shattered the Luchos. Since it is certainly difficult to destroy everything that one works for, it takes a strong leader to make such a consequential decision that will impact the entire nation for all time. For now, the issue is not why/what motivated him to shatter the Luchos,…

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ויבכו בני ישראל את משה... ויתמו ימי בכי אבל משה. ויהושע בן נון מלא רוח חכמה כי סמך משה ידיו עליו

Sruly Schnair In 5784, V'zos HaBrachah

ויבכו בני ישראל את משה… ויתמו ימי בכי אבל משה. ויהושע בן נון מלא רוח חכמה כי סמך משה ידיו עליו

When a Torah giant is niftar, passes away, it leaves a void which cannot be filled. The next tzaddik, righteous person, will establish his own position, approach and following. He will not replace his predecessor. Each Torah giant is on his own individual spiritual plane and has his own unique impact on his followers. Moshe Rabbeinu took leave of his beloved nation. The void that the Bnei Yisrael felt was immediately filled by Yehoshua, Hashem’s hand-picked successor to Moshe. While Yehoshua was a capable leader who navigated the nation throughout their war with the seven nations and the apportioning of…

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תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהילת יעקב

Sruly Schnair In 5784, V'zos HaBrachah

The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Yaakov. (33:4)

Chazal (Succah 42a) “When a katan, young child, knows how to speak, his father teaches him Torah. What does he teach him? [Obviously, this is a child at the beginning of his cognitive development, when he is just learning to speak.] Rav Hamnuna says: (He teaches him) Torah tzivah lanu Moshe, morashah kehillas Yaakov.” We derive from here that a child’s inaugural connection with the Torah should be, the awareness that it is a yerushah, heritage, which belongs to all the congregation of Yaakov. As long as one is counted as a member of kehillas Yaakov, the Torah is his…

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וימת שם משה עבד ד' בארץ מואב על פי ד'

Sruly Schnair In 5783, V'zos HaBrachah

So, Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there, in the land of Moav, by the mouth of Hashem. (34:5)

Moshe Rabbeinu spent the most significant years of his life (the remaining forty years) as the quintessential leader of Klal Yisrael. He was always in the limelight – never alone – except when he died. Moshe left this world alone, without family, students, friends – even Yehoshua, his successor, was not with him. it was just he and, of course, Hashem. As such, he was really never alone. He, as we all, are with Hashem. I think we can glean a powerful message from here. Hashem accompanies every Jew on his final journey. He may be alone in the hospital…

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כי שם חלקת מחקק ספון ויתא ראשי עם צדקת ד' עשה ומשפטיו עם ישראל

Sruly Schnair In 5783, V'zos HaBrachah

For it is where the lawgiver’s plot is hidden; he came at the head of the nation, carrying out Hashem’s justice and His ordinances with Yisrael. (33:21)

Shevet Gad, the tribe of Gad, selected the area where Moshe Rabbeinu was (to be) buried as their portion in Eretz Yisrael. The tribe of Gad was among the first to march into battle. The closing words of the pasuk, Tziddkas Hashem asah u’mishpatav im Yisrael, “Carrying out Hashem’s justice and His ordinances with Yisrael,” are a tribute to our quintessential leader, the Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael, Moshe Rabbeinu. Chazal (Avos 5:22) derive from here that Moshe was the paradigmatic mezakeh es ha’rabim, influenced the masses to become meritorious. His antithesis was the wicked Yaravam ben Nevat who was the…

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ויאמר ד' מסיני בא... ממינו אש דת למו

Sruly Schnair In 5783, V'zos HaBrachah

He said: Hashem came from Sinai… from His right hand. He presented the fiery Torah to them. (33:2)

The Baal HaTurim comments that this pasuk begins with the letter vov (Va’yomer) and ends with the letter vov (lamo). This is by design, to allude that Moshe Rabbeinu blessed all twelve shevatim, tribes. (The numerical value of vov is six. Two vovim equal twelve.) The commentators question why the Baal HaTurim did not note this in the earlier pasuk, which also begins and ends with vov. This pasuk addresses Moshe’s blessing the Jewish People. It would have been more appropriate to underscore the dual vovim in a pasuk which speaks about blessing. The Zera Shimshon explains that the main…

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ויקבר אתו בגי

And He buried him in the depression. (34:6)

ויקבר אתו בגי

And He buried him in the depression. (34:6)

ולזבולון אמר שמח זבולון בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

To Zevulun, he said: Zevulun, rejoice in your going out; and Yissachar, in your tents. (33:18)

וזאת הברכה אשר ברך משה

And this is the blessing that Moshe bestowed. (33:1)

ולכל היד החזקה ולכל המורא הגדול אשר עשה משה לעיני כל ישראל

And by all the strong hand and awesome power that Moshe performed before the eyes of all Yisrael. (34:12)

ויבכו בני ישראל את משה... ויתמו ימי בכי אבל משה. ויהושע בן נון מלא רוח חכמה כי סמך משה ידיו עליו

ויבכו בני ישראל את משה… ויתמו ימי בכי אבל משה. ויהושע בן נון מלא רוח חכמה כי סמך משה ידיו עליו

תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהילת יעקב

The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Yaakov. (33:4)

וימת שם משה עבד ד' בארץ מואב על פי ד'

So, Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there, in the land of Moav, by the mouth of Hashem. (34:5)

כי שם חלקת מחקק ספון ויתא ראשי עם צדקת ד' עשה ומשפטיו עם ישראל

For it is where the lawgiver’s plot is hidden; he came at the head of the nation, carrying out Hashem’s justice and His ordinances with Yisrael. (33:21)

ויאמר ד' מסיני בא... ממינו אש דת למו

He said: Hashem came from Sinai… from His right hand. He presented the fiery Torah to them. (33:2)

YEARS

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