After chronicling the generations of one family that became
God’s treasured people, and following that people through the great heights and
devastating lows of their spiritual development, the Five Books of the Torah
wind down and end with … a eulogy. Moshe, God’s servant, died there, in the
land of Moab, by the mouth of God. He buried him in the valley in the land of
Moab facing Beis Peor and no man knows his burial place till this day. And
Moshe was 120 years old at his death; his appearance was not dulled, and his
freshness did not fade. The children of Israel mourned for Moshe on the plains
of Moab for 30 days; after which ended the days of mourning in Moshe’s mourning
period. And Yehoshua the son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom because
Moshe has rested his hands on him; the children of Israel listened to him and
acted as God commanded Moshe. And there has never arisen a prophet within
Israel liker Moshe, whom God knew face to face. For all the signs and the
wonders that God sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, to Pharoah and to
all his slaves and to his entire land. And for the entire strong hand and for
the great display that Moshe performed in view of all of Israel. (Devarim,
34:5-12).
It is striking that the Torah, normally quite terse and
parsimonious with words, allots eight full verses to sum up Moshe’s life – much
more than it does for Abraham (2 verses – Bereshis 25: 8-9), Isaac (1 verse,
Bereshis 35: 29), Jacob (1 verse, Bereshis 49:33), or Joseph (1 verse, Bereshis 50:26).
The life of Moshe’s successor, Yehoshua, who led the Jewish people in the
conquest of the land of Canaan, is summed up in three verses (Joshua 24:
29-31). King David's burial and epitaph is recounted in two verses (I Kings 2:10-11).
Note:
I am exceedingly grateful to my wife Fran who proofread, edited, and offered feedback on all the Divrei Torah I posted on this blog over the past year. Her input has immeasurably improved my commentaries. Thank you as well to Rabbi Shlomo Ziegler, who read and commented on many of the Divrei Torah on this blog. I have enjoyed and learned from our discussions.
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