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Parshat Vaetchanan
2005
Moses' Birthright
In Parshat Va'etchanan, and in the book of Deuteronomy in general, there is a tangible sense of foreboding. The long journey that Moses has taken with the Israelites from Egypt and through 40 years in the desert is coming to an end. As befitting concluding remarks, Moses continues to warn the Israelites to stay on the straight path and remember all that God has done for them. Moses goes on to remind the Israelites of specific laws that they were already commanded to observe, including the 10 commandments, and mentions some new laws that are relevant for their new lives in Israel. Moses reminds them that their success in the land of Israel is contingent upon their compliance with God's commandments.
Despite the many important themes found in this week's portion, the most striking theme is unrelated to the Israelites. The parsha begins with a record of an earlier dialogue between God and Moses. Not content to accept God's earlier pronouncement (Numbers 20:12) that Moses will die in the desert rather than lead his people into Israel, Moses pleads with God to let him go to Israel.
I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, "O Lord God, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon." But the Lord was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. The Lord said to me, "Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again! Go up to the summit of Pisgah and gaze about, to the west, the north, the south, and the east. Look at it well, for you shall not cross yonder Jordan. Give Joshua his instructions, and imbue him with strength and courage, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he shall allot to them the land that you may only see."
The rabbis in the Babylonian Talmud (Sotah, 14a) ponder what feeds Moses' strong desire to go to Israel. According to Rabbi Simlai, Moses wants to go to Israel because of the many commandments relating to the land of Israel that can only be fulfilled there. But whatever the reason for God's refusal to allow Moses to enter the land of Israel (see commentaries on Numbers 20: 12 for a discussion), or Moses' motivation for wanting to go, Moses clearly has a burning desire to go to the land of Israel before he dies. According to the Beit Midrash (1, 124), Moses' desire to enter the land is so strong that he asks God if he can fly there as a bird or swim there as a fish, if he is not destined to enter the land in human form.
The very name of the portion, Va'etchanan, means "I pleaded." Rashi explains that Moses chooses his language carefully, using the root chet, nun, nun, rather than another Hebrew word for asking, because the root chet, nun, nun implies the giving of something for nothing. Moses, therefore, pleads with God to allow him to enter Israel, not based on Moses' merit (which had not worked thus far), but based upon God's goodness. Moses wants so much to go to Israel, not because he feels particularly worthy, but because he feels connected to this land. Moses wants a free ride to Israel because it is his birthright.
As Hillel professionals promoting birthright israel on our campuses, there is much we can learn from Moses' pleading with God to go to Israel. It's humbling to think that our students, regardless of their Jewish knowledge or level of observance, have the same connection to and same birthright to go to Israel as Moses. More importantly, we have the privilege of providing our students with the gift that not even Moses received.
Prepared by Leebie Mallin, director, Hillel at the College of Staten Island
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Vaetchanan at MyJewishLearning.com.
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