{"id":52547,"date":"2019-03-31T10:45:54","date_gmt":"2019-03-31T07:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=52547"},"modified":"2022-10-23T17:56:24","modified_gmt":"2022-10-23T14:56:24","slug":"the-death-of-moses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-death-of-moses\/","title":{"rendered":"The Death Of Moses"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, the last book of the The Five Books of Moses, we read: \u201cSo Moses the servant of the Lord died there, in the land of Moab, at the command of the Lord. He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, near Beth-Peor; and no one knows his burial place to this day\u201d (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). <\/span><\/p>\n

The Midrash (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:11 and parallels) elaborates on this brief biblical statement by depicting a beautifully imaginative \u201cGrand Finale\u201d: \u00a0When Moses\u2019 time came to an end, a divine voice went forth, saying: Your death draws near. Moses responded: Master of the World! Please do not hand me to the Angel of Death! A divine voice answered: Do not be afraid! I Myself shall attend to you and to your burial. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Holy One, blessed be He, descended from the highest heavens to fetch the soul of Moses with three of His angels. Michael laid out the bier for Moses, and Gabriel spread a linen cloth at its head. Zagzagel stood at its foot, with Michael on one side and Gabriel on the other side. God said: Moses! shut your eyes, and he closed his eyes. God said: Place your hand upon your chest, and he did. God said: Put your feet close together, and he did. Then God called out to the soul in Moses\u2019 body, saying: My daughter! I apportioned for you one hundred and twenty years to be in the body of Moses. Now it is time for you to depart \u2026 Moses\u2019 soul responded: Master of the Universe! \u2026 There is no one purer in body than Moses … I love him and do not want to leave him! God answered: Soul! Come out without delay! For, I will cause you to ascend to the highest heaven and I will place you beneath My Throne of Glory. Then, the Holy One, blessed be He took Moses\u2019 soul by kissing him on the mouth. And God wept, saying: \u201cWho will take my part against evil men? Who will stand up for me against wrongdoers?\u201d (Psalms 94:16). <\/span><\/p>\n

The Holy Spirit proclaimed: Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses\u2014whom the Lord singled out, face to face\u201d (Deuteronomy 34:10). The Heavens wept and said: \u201cThe pious one has gone from the land\u201d (Micah 7:2). And the Earth wept and said: \u201cAnd the most upright of men is no longer\u201d (Michah 7:2). When Joshua could not find Moses, he cried out: \u201cHelp, O Lord! For the faithful are no more\u201d (Psalms 12:2). While the ministering angels were singing, \u201cHe executed the righteousness of the Lord\u201d (Deut 33:21), Israel added: \u201c\u2026and His ordinances with Israel\u2019 (Deuteronomy 33:21). Finally, the Angels and Israel said together: \u201cMay he enter in peace!\u201d (Isaiah 57:2).<\/span><\/p>\n

So, let us add: Zekher Tzaddiq Li-Berakhah — May the memory of the righteous be for a blessing!<\/span><\/p>\n

Image by: Luca Signorelli, <\/span>Moses’s Testament and Death – 1481-82<\/span> \u00a0\/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":52548,"id":52548,"title":"dt34-Signorelli,_Luca_-_Moses's_Testament_and_Death","filename":"dt34-Signorelli_Luca_-_Mosess_Testament_and_Death.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt34-Signorelli_Luca_-_Mosess_Testament_and_Death.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-death-of-moses\/dt34-signorelli_luca_-_mosess_testament_and_death\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"dt34-signorelli_luca_-_mosess_testament_and_death","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":52547,"date":"2019-03-31 07:45:40","modified":"2019-03-31 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