Sifrei on Deuteronomy Sifrei Devarim 29

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 3:26) "And ("yithaber") the L-rd with me because of you (lema'anchem), and He would not hearken to me": R. Eliezer says: He was filled with wrath ("evrah" [like "yithaber"]). R. Yehoshua says: He (the L-rd) became like a woman who could not stoop because of her fetus ("ubar" [like "yithaber"]).

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English · Shraga Silverstein

"lema'anchem": Because of you this was done to me. "and He would not hearken to me": He did not accept my prayer. "And the L-rd said to me: 'rav lach. Presume to speak to Me no more about this thing.'" An analogy: A man makes a vow. Does he not go to his master for absolution of his vow? If the master makes a vow (affecting his disciple), it is the disciple's part to heed the words of his master. You, too, heed the words of your master. (Thus, "rav lach" ["You have a Master!"])

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English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "And the L-rd said to me: 'rav lach'" (i.e., you are a "teacher" in this thing) — You are an example for judges to say: If the great sage, Moses, was not forgiven for saying (Bamidbar 20:10) "Hear, now, you rebels," but it was decreed that he not enter Eretz Yisrael, then those who delay judgment and those who pervert justice, how much more so! And if Moses who was told (Ibid. 12) "You shall not bring this congregation into the land," did not refrain from imploring the L-rd for mercy — how much more so (should this be the pattern for) other men, (who were not told such a thing!) And if Chezkiah, who was told (II Kings 20:1) "Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live" did not refrain from imploring the L-rd for mercy, acting on the principle of "Even if a sharp sword is poised over a man's neck he should not refrain from imploring mercy," as it is written (Isaiah 38:2) "then Chizkiyahu turned his face to the wall and prayed to the L-rd" — how much more so other men!

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English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: ("rav lach":) "harbeh lach" ("There is much owing you") in the world to come — as one would say to his neighbor "There is much owing you — you need not petition it." Variantly: "vayithaber": As one would say to his neighbor: "That man crossed (avar) that road again." (i.e., Moses exceeded his bounds.)

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English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim, Ibid. 3:27) "Go up to the top of the height": R. Elazar b. Yaakov said: Better one hour of prayer than good deeds. For because all of the deeds of Moses it was not said to him "Go up, etc.", but here, (after he prayed,) it was said to him "Go up." "and lift your eyes, etc.": From here they ruled: Those who stand outside the land turn their faces to Eretz Yisrael and pray, as it is written (I Kings 8:48) "And they shall pray to You by way of their land." Those who stand in Eretz Yisrael turn their faces to Jerusalem and pray, as it is written (II Chronicles 5:34) "And they shall pray towards this city." Those who stand in Jerusalem turn their faces towards the Temple, as it is written (Ibid. 32) "and they shall pray towards this house." Those who stand in the Temple direct their hearts to the holy of holies and pray, as it is written (Ibid. 26) "and they shall pray towards this place" — whence it is found: those in the north face south; (those) in the south face north; (those) in the east face west; (those) in the west face east — whence it is found that all of Israel pray towards one place.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim, Ibid.) "for you shall not cross this Jordan." An analogy: A king decreed that his son not enter his bedchamber — whereupon he entered the palace entrance talking with him; he entered his reception room talking with him. When he came to enter his chamber, he said to him: "From here on, you are forbidden." Likewise, Moses said to the L-rd: "All of me is separated from Eretz Yisrael only by a fifty-ell string-length of this Jordan" — whereupon He said: "and see with your eyes, for you will not cross this Jordan."

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English · Shraga Silverstein

(Ibid. 28) "And charge (tzav) Joshua": "charging" (tzivui) is prompting to zeal, as it is written (Ibid. 31:7) "And Moses called to Joshua and he said to him before the eyes of all of Israel: 'Be strong and firm'": "Be strong" in Torah, "and be firm" in good deeds.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 3:28) "for he will pass over before this people": If he passes over before them, they will pass; if not, they will not.

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English · Shraga Silverstein

"and he will cause them to inherit": If he causes them to inherit, they will inherit; if not, not. And thus do we find that when they went to do battle with Ai there fell of them some thirty-six righteous men, viz. (Joshua 7:5) "And the men of Ai smote of them some thirty-six righteous men … (6) and Joshua tore his clothing and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the L-rd until the evening … (7) and Joshua said: Ahah, L-rd, G-d, why did You bring this people across the Jordan … (8) Please, my L-rd, what shall I say now that Israel has turned its back … (10) And the L-rd said to Joshua: Arise! Why are you fallen on your face!'" Is this not what I said to Moses from the very beginning? If he passes over before them, they shall pass; if not, they shall not pass. If he causes them to inherit, they shall inherit; if not, they shall not inherit — and you sent them and did not pass over before them!

Sifrei Devarim 29

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