Parshat Vaeschanan 5784
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week’s parsha that Moshe Rabbeinu davens to Hashem and asks Him to allow Moshe to enter Eretz Yisrael. The pasuk says (Chapter 3, Pasuk 25), אעברה נא ואראה את הארץ הטובה אשר בעבר הירדן ההר הטוב הזה והלבנון. Allow me to pass through and see this good land on the other side of the Yarden, this “good mountain”, which Rashi teaches to be Yerushalayim, and the “Levanon”, which he explains to mean the Beis Hamikdash.
The Gemara in Sotah 14A brings in the name of Rav Simlai, why was Moshe so intent on entering Eretz Yisrael? Did he want to eat its fruit or be satiated from its goodness? Rather he answers that Moshe wanted to enter Eretz Yisrael in order to fulfill the mitzvos which can only be fulfilled in Eretz Yisrael, מצוות התלויות בארץ. And Hashem answers him, I will give you the reward for these mitzvos even without you fulfilling them. Or as Rashi explains the words of Hashem in response in our parsha (Pasuk 26), רב לך; there is much reward waiting for you in Olam Haba.
Rav Tzadok asks on this Gemara, how could it be that Moshe was told not to worry about fulfilling these mitzvos, he will receive reward as if he fulfilled them. Did Moshe care about the reward for the mitzvos? Antignos Ish Socho teaches in Avos (Chapter 1, Mishnah 3), אל תהיו כעבדים המשמשים את הרב על מנת לקבל פרס. Don’t be like servants who serve their master in order to receive a reward. Surely, Moshe was purely interested just in the performance of these mitzvos; how was he consoled with reward? (See the Maharsha who asks the same question and gives a different answer).
Rav Tzadok points out that when Moshe asked to enter Eretz Yisrael, he mentions that he wants to see the land, ואראה את הארץ. Surely, he would see the land if he enters; what was Moshe Rabbeinu adding by saying let me enter and see the land?
We read in sefer Bereishis by the creation of the world, that each day (except for the second day) Hashem looked at what He had created and it was good, וירא אלוקים כי טוב. Rav Tzadok teaches that every day, Hashem looked at His creation with the אור כי טוב, as the pasuk says (Chapter 1, Pasuk 4), וירא אלוקים את האור כי טוב. Hashem “looked” at His creation and placed the אור כי טוב into everything He created. Hence, we read every day וירא אלוקים כי טוב.
Rav Tzadok teaches that Hashem gave this power over to Moshe Rabbeinu. And Moshe Rabbeinu in turn gave this power over to others. Hence we read in parshat Pinchas, when Moshe gave over from his authority to Yehoshua, this process took place in front of Elazar HaKohen, as the pasuk says (Chapter 27, Pasuk 21), ולפני אלעזר הכהן יעמוד. Elazar HaKohen needed to see Yehoshua ask from the Urim V’Tumim in order for it to be effective. And this power of being able to look and infuse with Kedushah was something passed down the generations only to those who were worthy.
According to Rav Tzadok, the request of Moshe Rabbeinu to enter Eretz Yisrael was in order to infuse the land with Kedushah by looking at it. As the pasuk says, אעברה נא ואראה את הארץ הטובה. Just as Hashem every day by creation looked at the creation and infused it with the light of Kedushah, וירא אלוקים כי טוב, so too Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to look at הארץ הטובה and infuse it with the light of Torah Shebe’alpeh. He wanted to look at Yerushalayim, ההר הטוב הזה, and infuse it with a light and holiness that they would be able to clearly recognize and point to, הזה.
But Hashem told him that this wasn’t his role. You can stand here on the eastern side of the Yarden and look at Eretz Yisrael, as the pasuk says (Pasuk 27), עלה ראש הפסגה ושא עיניך וראה. You can look from here and affect Eretz Yisrael with your light, the light of Torah Shebichsav. But Yehoshua will be the one to enter Eretz Yisrael and infuse the land with the light of Torah Shebe’alpeh, as the pasuk says (Pasuk 28), הוא ינחיל אותם את הארץ אשר תראה.
The Kli Yakar points out a similarity with Avraham Avinu. Avraham, as opposed to Moshe, is given the opportunity to both see the land and also enter the land. He is told to view the land (Chapter 13, Pasuk 14-15), שא נא עיניך וראה...כי את כל הארץ אשר אתה ראה לך אתננה ולזרעך עד עולם. Avraham is told to look at the land. The Kli Yakar learns that Avraham acquired the land by looking at it. Rav Tzadok would learn that he gave it the light of Kedushah by viewing it. But Avraham was also told two pasukim later, קום התהלך בארץ; make a stronger acquisition, a קנין חזקה. You will enter the land and make it holy by being there as well.
Moshe, though, couldn’t enter and effect the land by looking up close. Moshe need to look from a distance and give the land the Kedushah he could. And he needed to pass on to the leaders of the next generation Hashem’s power of וירא אלוקים כי טוב.
Good Shabbos
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