The downside to longevity[1]
ואתחנן אל-יקוק בעת ההיא…ויאמר יקוק אלי רב-לך אל-תוסף דבר אלי עוד בדבר הזה
I pleaded to Hashem at that time…Hashem said to me: “There’s a lot for you. Don’t continue to speak to Me about this matter any more”[2]
Moshe, shortly before his death, explained to the people why he would not lead them into the land of Israel. Instead, his successor Yehoshua would take charge. Moshe was punished for his prior transgression[3] with dying before ever entering the land. He couldn’t take this quietly, and repeatedly prayed to Hashem to forgive him; to allow him to at least enter the land. Finally, Hashem responded by saying: “רב לך! There’s a lot for you! Don’t continue praying for this, as you will not enter.” There’s an enigmatic Midrash that gives[4] more details as to how Hashem responded to Moshe’s prayer. What did Hashem mean that it was too much for Moshe? Hashem meant that He doesn’t let the righteous break very severe transgressions, such as bloodshed[5]. What does this Midrash mean?
The Torah tells us[6] that Moshe lived 120 years. Why did he live this specific length of time? One explanation[7] is that 120 is three times forty, and Moshe spent forty days on Mount Sinai three times[8], where he didn’t eat or drink[9]. The spies who entered the land of Israel and gave a bad report traveled for forty days[10], which caused the people to be punished with forty years in the wilderness[11]. One year corresponding to one day[12]. Everyone in that generation was sentenced to die, and only their children would enter the land of Israel[13]. Since Hashem’s measure of reward is greater than his measure of punishment[14], surely Moshe should be rewarded with living as many years as the amount of days he toiled on Mount Sinai.
Tonight is known as Tu B’Av, the fifteenth day of the month of Av. We are taught that there was no joyous day for the Jewish people like Tu B’Av[15]. What’s the significance of this day? To fulfill the decree that the generation that left Egypt would die in the wilderness, every year people would die on Tisha B’Av. This continued during their forty years of wandering the wilderness. On the last Tisha B’Av that they were in the wilderness, no one died. They thought that perhaps they had miscounted the days, and it wasn’t yet Tisha B’Av. They were confused for a few days, until they noticed the full moon. It was Tu B’Av. They rejoiced at the realization that the decree was completed, and no more people would die before entering the land of Israel[16].
It’s hard to understand what that generation of Jews were expecting. If the forty-year decree had completed, why did they still expect people to die? And if the forty years were not yet completed, why in reality did the dying cease? It would seem that the Jews thought that the decree of the forty years would start from the sin of the spies. However, Hashem was very merciful upon the Jews, and started counting the forty years from when they left Egypt.
Now, if Moshe’s lifespan corresponded to the three-times forty days he spent on Mount Sinai, what was Moshe praying for? At this point in the Torah, he had reached the end of his life[17]. We have to say that he was praying that his 120-year lifespan be counted from the giving at the Torah at Sinai. Everyone converted to Judaism at that point[18], and a convert is considered as if they are born anew[19] [20]. However, if Moshe’s lifespan would be counted from the giving of the Torah, then it wouldn’t be appropriate to count the forty-year decree from the leaving of Egypt. That was before the giving of the Torah, before everyone converted. That time shouldn’t count.
Now everything makes sense. If Moshe’s prayers to enter the land of Israel would be successful, his lifespan would have been increased. That would be because the time before the giving of the Torah wouldn’t be part of the calculation. However, that would mean that the forty-year decree of the Jewish people would not yet be complete. More people would still need to die that year[21]. This is why Hashem refused to accept Moshe’s prayers. If his prayers would be accepted, it would have led to bloodshed. It would directly cause the deaths of more Jews. Hashem couldn’t let Moshe be responsible for anyone’s death. Therefore, he was told to stop praying. Moshe accepted his fate, and stopped.
Good Shabbos
[1] Based on Chasam Sofer’s Toras Moshe I to Deuteronomy 3:26
[2] Deuteronomy 3:23, 26
[3] See http://parshaponders.com/chukas-5777 for possibilities for what the transgression was
[4] Sifrei Bamidbar § 135, brought in Yalkut Shimoni § 819. See http://parshaponders.com/vaeschanan-5778 for another explanation for why Hashem said רב לך to Moshe
[5] This example is the Chasam Sofer’s interpretation
[6] Deuteronomy 31:2
[7] Tosafos HaShalem to Exodus 37:2-7 § 1 (cited as ל”ו 108, which, based on their bibliography, I think means it’s from a manuscript of commentaries from Maharam MiRotenburg)
[8] Rashi to Exodus 33:11 and Deuteronomy 9:18. His source is Midrash Tanchuma Ki Sisa § 31 and Seder Olam Rabah Chapter 6
[9] Exodus 24:18, 34:28, and Deuteronomy 9:9
[10] Numbers 13:25
[11] Ibid 14:33
[12] Ibid v. 34
[13] Ibid v. 29
[14] Sotah 11a; Tosefta Sotah 4:1. See Rivam to Makkos 23a s.v. על אחת
[15] Ta’anis 4:8
[16] Rashi to Ibid 30b s.v. שכלו מתי בדבר, quoting Yerushalmi Ta’anis 4:7 and Eicha Rabbah Pesikta § 33
[17] Deuteronomy 31:2
[18] Kerisos 9a, brought by Rashi to Exodus 24:6
[19] Yevamos 22a, 48b, 62a, 97a; Bechoros 47a. Some are of the opinion that this concept didn’t apply to that generation, as their conversion was coerced (Gur Aryeh to Genesis 46:10 § 5. Cf. Meshech Chochmah to Deuteronomy 5:27). Others clarify that at the very least it applied to Moshe (inter alia Keli Chemdah to Genesis 46:10). For an in-depth treatment on this topic, see http://parshaponders.com/shavuos-part-2-5778
[20] Obviously this doesn’t have any bearing on their halachic age. A convert doesn’t halachically become a child until thirteen years after their conversion. See the above sources for how it does affect halacha
[21] I don’t understand who the Chasam Sofer thinks would have died. Everyone from that generation between 20 and 60 had already perished (Numbers 14:29, Bava Basra 121b, and Rashi to Numbers 20:1, 22, quoting Midrash Tanchuma Chukas § 14). Who else would have died? The children from that generation weren’t sentenced to death in the wilderness, nor were those above the age of sixty when the decree was sentenced