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…
For we have a halacha that ‘that which is owned by a servant is owned by his master’ (eg if my servant picked up a lost object I am the object’s owner). Thus, said Rav Elchonon, the Torah calling Moshe Rabeinu an ‘eved HaShem’ meant that any talent, skill, and all aspects of Moshe’s life were spent using them for his Master, HaShem. That was a greatness of Moshe, and is a high level that we can emulate in our own ways.
