Parashas Vezos HaBerachah – The Greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu
This week we complete the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah with Parashas Vezos HaBerachah, which is therefore always read on Simchas Torah. There is never an end to our toils in Torah however, and to symbolise this we begin reading the Torah again, anew, with Parashas Bereishis following on from this final sedra of the book of Devarim. In addition to the celebrations which occur on Simchas Torah where we dance with the Torah scrolls and sing with joy, every male present is called to the Torah and the sedra is therefore read repeatedly until everyone has received an aliyah... hence why being in the largest shul in Jerusalem last year with potentially the biggest minyan in the city, probably wasn't the smartest of ideas. This final sedra is comprised of just two pereks, one dedicated to Moshe's final words to the nation, with his blessings for each of the tribes, and the other chapter focusing on the death of Moshe with some final words given in the concluding possukim about the quality of Moshe and his prophecy
We are told (34:5) that Moshe had a particularly easy and painless death. Rav Dessler used to bring out of two gemarras that the easiness of death depends on how one has lived their life. If one has lived a spiritually bereft, materialistic life, then one has pulled their spiritual neshama to attach itself to the physical body, and thus it becomes painful to separate the body and soul upon death. If, however, one has lived a spiritual life and defined themselves by the spiritual laws then the neshama has remained separate to, and has not been polluted by the body - and as such it is easy and painless to separate the two upon death.
1) Man of God
The opening of our sedra describes Moshe Rabeinu as an ish elokim, a ‘godly man.’ The Ibn Ezra explains this to refer to Moshe’s superior and unsurpassable level of prophecy. As the Rambam details, Moshe could receive direct, clear prophecy whenever he wanted, with all his physical faculties in tact. This level of directness of prophecy was unique to Moshe - a true man of God.
2) Man on a mission
There’s a Midrash brought in Rashi (defus rishon) which reveals that Moshe stopped the malach ha’maves (angel of death) taking Moshe’s neshama so that he could bless the people. Once again, we see that the thing at the forefront of Moshe’s mind was Klal Yisrael. His life was dedicated to serving Klal Yisrael, and he delayed his death for this cause too.
Moshe Rabeinu was the greatest prophet to have ever lived and achieved closeness to HaShem that is insurmountable. However, upon Moshe's death in VeZos HaBracha, he gets what seems to be a mere two-word eulogy; 'and Moshe died there EVED HASHEM...' (32;5). This was the question bothering Rav Elchonon Wasserman which he addressed in his eulogy of the Chofetz Chaim. Rav Elchonon said that the words 'eved HaShem' are the greatest accolade that a person can be given...
Our sedra sees the biblical source for making a bracha on the Torah (32;3 - 'when I call out the name of HaShem ascribe greatness to our G-D') - gemarra brachos 21a. Therefore, it seems like making a bracha on the Torah is a mitzvh from the Torah. However, the RambaM does not include it in his sefer hamitzvos for biblical miztvos, and the RambaN asks why on earth the RambaM misses out this mitzvah? The Aruch HaShulchan answers that the Rambam does indeed hold that birkas hatorah is a torah mitzvah...
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Site Dedication
This website is dedicated to the memories of
Moshe Shlomo ben R'Shmuel | Shlomo ben R'Chaim | Aryeh Leib ben Pinchas Tzvi
