Deuteronomy 34

מערבת מואב אל הר נבו [AND MOSES WENT UP] FROM THE PLAINS OF MOAB TO MOUNT NEBO — There were several levels leading from the plain to the summit, but Moses covered them in one step (Sotah 13b).

את כל הארץ [AND THE LORD SHOWED HIM] ALL THE LAND — He showed him all the land of Israel in its prosperity and the oppressors who in future time would oppress it (Sifrei Devarim 357:4).

עד דן UNTO DAN — He showed him the children of Dan practicing idolatry, as it is said, (Judges 18:30) “And the sons of Dan erected the graven image for themselves”; and He showed him also Samson who would in the future issue from him (Dan) as a savior (Sifrei Devarim 357:7).

ואת כל נפתלי AND ALL NAPHTALI — He showed him his land both in its prosperity and in its ruin; and He showed him also Deborah and Barak of kadesh-Naphtali warring with Sisera and his armies (Sifrei Devarim 357:8-9).

ואת ארץ אפרים ומנשה AND THE LAND OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH — He showed him their land in its prosperity and in its ruin; and He showed him also Joshua who descended from Ephraim warring with the kings of Canaan, and Gideon who descended from Manasseh warring with Midian and Amalek (Sifrei Devarim 357:10-13).

ואת כל ארץ יהודה AND ALL THE LAND OF JUDAH, in its prosperity and in its ruin; and He showed him also the kings of the house of David and their victories (Sifrei Devarim 357:15-16).

ועד הים האחרון UNTO THE UTTERMOST SEA — i.e., the west country, in its prosperity and its ruin. — Another explanation: Read this as though it did not state הים האחרון but היום האחרון [UNTO] THE LAST DAY — The Holy One, blessed be He, showed him all that would in future happen to Israel unto the last day when the dead will again live (Sifrei Devarim 357:18).

ואת הנגב means THE SOUTH COUNTRY — — Another explanation is, that it refers to the cave of Machpelah (which was in the Negeb), as it is said, (Numbers 13:22) “And they went up to the south country, and came to Hebron” (where this cave was situated) (Sifrei Devarim 357:20).

ואת הככר AND THE PLAIN — He showed him Solomon casting the vessels of the Temple, as it is said, (1 Kings 7:46) “In the plain (ככר) of the Jordan did the king cast them in the thick clay” (Sifrei Devarim 357:21).

לאמר לזרעך אתננה הראיתיך TO SAY, TO THY SEED WILL I GIVE IT, I HAVE LET THEE SEE IT, i.e. in order that you may go and say to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob: The oath which the Holy One, blessed be He, swore to you — that oath He has fulfilled. This is the force of לאמר (Berakhot 18b), “to say it”, viz., that you may say it — for that reason have I let you see it. But it is a decree from Me that שמה לא תעבר THERE YOU SHALL NOT CROSS OVER; for were this not so, I would keep you alive even until you saw them planted and settled in it, and you would then go and tell them (the patriarchs).

וימת שם משה AND MOSES DIED THERE — Is it possible that Moses, died, and then wrote: “And Moses died there”? But, thus far did Moses write, from here and onward Joshua wrote. Rabbi Meir said: But is it possible that the Book of the Torah would be lacking anything at all, and yet it would state before the account of Moses' death was written in it, (Deuteronomy 31:26) “Take this book of the Torah” -? Rather the Holy One, blessed be He, dictated this, and Moses wrote it in tears (Sifrei Devarim 357:28; Bava Batra 15a, Menachot 30a).

על פי ה׳ BY THE COMMAND (lit., MOUTH) OF THE LORD — by the Divine kiss (Moed Katan 28a; cf. Rashi on Numbers 20:1).

ויקבר אותו AND HE BURIED HIM — i.e. The Holy One, blessed be He, in His glory, buried him (Sotah 14a). R. Ishmael, however, said, It means: “He buried himself”. This (the word אותו) is one of the three cases of את with a pronominal suffix which R. Ishmael explained thus (as being reflexive and not accusative pronouns). Similar to it is: (Numbers 6:13; see Rashi thereon) “On the day when his naziritehood is fulfilled, he shall bring אותו”, i.e. he shall bring (present) himself. Similar to it is, (Leviticus 22:16) “And they will burden אותם with iniquity of trespass”. But did others burden them (the priests) with that iniquity? But the meaning is that they burdened themselves (Sifrei Bamidbar 32).

מול בית פעור OPPOSITE BETH PEOR — His grave was prepared there ever since the six days of Creation, to atone for the incident regarding Peor (see Numbers 25) (Sotah 14a). This (Moses' grave) was one of the things that were created “between the twilights” on the eve of the Sabbath [in the week of the Creation] (Pirkei Avot 5:6; Pesachim 54a).

לא כהתה עינו HIS EYE WAS NOT DIM — even after he had died (Sifrei Devarim 357:34).

ולא נס לחו means, nor did the life-sap that was in him depart (Sifrei Devarim 357:35): decomposition had no power over him (had no effect on his body), and the appearance of his face had not changed.

בני ישראל THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [WEPT] — i.e., the men; but regarding Aaron, — because he pursued peace, and made peace between a man and his fellow, and between a woman and her husband, it is stated, (Numbers 20:29) “The whole house of Israel [wept for him]” — the men and the women (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 17).

אשר ידעו ה׳ פנים אל פנים WHOM THE LORD KNEW FACE TO FACE — this means: that he was familiar with Him and used to speak with Him at any time he desired, just as it is stated that Moses said, (Exodus 32:30), “And now I will ascend to the Lord”; (Numbers 9:8) “Stay and I will hear what God will command regarding you”.

ולכל היד החזקה AND IN ALL THAT STRONG HAND — this refers to the fact that he received the Torah that was on the Tablets, in his hands.

ולכל המורא הגדול AND IN ALL THAT GREAT TERRIBLENESS — the miracles and mighty deeds that were wrought in the great and terrible wilderness (cf. (Sifrei Devarim 357:45).

לעיני כל ישראל [WHICH MOSES SHOWED] BEFORE THE EYES OF ALL ISRAEL — This refers to the fact that his heart inspired him to shatter the Tablets before their eyes, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 9:17) “And I broke them before your eyes” (Sifrei Devarim 357:45), and the opinion of the Holy One, blessed be He, regarding this action agreed with his opinion, as it is stated that God said of the Tablets, (Exodus 34:1) אשר שברת "Which you have broken", [which implies] "May your strength be fitting (יישר; an expression of thanks and congratulation) because you have broken them" (Yevamot 62a; Shabbat 87a).

[לו] ומשה בן מאה ועשרים שנה במותו — כי כל אדם יוכר בו גבול נטית ימי חייו מימי הילדות לימי השחרות ומימי השחרות לימי הזקנה, ולפיהם יערכו ימי חייו. אבל משה לא ניכר בו לאמר כי בן מאה ועשרים שנה רק במותו. והטעם כי לא כהתה עינו ולא נס לחה :

[לז] ויבכו וגו' ויתמו ימי בכי אבל משה במות כל גדול הדור יקום אחר תחתיו וזרח השמש ובא השמש ויתום האבל אבל במשה שלא קם כמוהו ולא יקום לא תמו רק בכי של אבל משה שפסקו מלבכות אבל האבל על מיתתו לא יתום לעולם, ומבאר הטעם כי גם:

[לח] ויהושע שמלא רוח חכמה (לא היה מצד עצמו כמשה רק ע"י) כי סמך משה את ידיו עליו. ופני יהושע כפני לבנה. אולם זה היה מוכרח שלא יקום אחר כמשה והוא מוכרח לפנת התורה, שלא יחליף האל ולא ימיר דתו, ואם היה באפשרי יקום נביא כמשה יהיה באפשרי התחלפות: וז"ש כי הגם וישמעו אליו בני ישראל ששמעו אל יהושע לא נדמה שמיעתם אליו כשמיעתם אל משה, שנתן להם חקים ומשפטים מצות ותורה, רק ויעשו כאשר צוה ה' את משה. לא זולת. והטעם כי:

[לט] ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה — וע"כ אין נביא רשאי לחדש דבר מעתה, ובאר בשלשה ענינים נבדל ענין משה מזולתו, אחד בנבואה, אשר ידעו ה' פנים אל פנים. וכולל חמשה ענינים שנבדלה נבואתו מזולתו, כמ"ש הרמב"ם כנודע, ב' במופתים, שהיו מופתיו כוללים עם כולל ארץ מצרים בכלל, וז"ש:

[מ] לכל האתת והמופתים אשר שלחו ה' לעשות בארץ מצרים, היו כוללים לפרעה ולכל עבדיו ולכל ארצו. ג' בהתגלות ה' אליו שהיה בפני כל המון בית ישראל שכולם ראו בעיניהם, וז"ש:

[מא] ולכל היד החזקה וגו' אשר עשה משה היה לעיני כל ישראל — ובכל אלה השלשה ענינים לא היה מי שנדמה למשה: