וָאֶתְחַנַּן Va'etchanan

My Musing
This week’s selection sets up an interesting contradiction that perhaps is not a contradiction but teaches a deep lesson. The midrash begins by encouraging us to never stop praying, even after we have accepted the inevitable. Then proceeds to use Moshe as the example by which we should learn this. Moshe, the midrash explains, never stopped praying to enter Israel, and employs an interesting logic game to plead his case. Yet, the midrash, explains, it was to no avail. But the lesson remains, even when the inevitable is in front of us, we do not stop praying- perhaps to even have the opportunity to engage the Holy One, blessed be He, in the conversation.

מדרש תנחומא פרשת וָאֶתְחַנַּן (ורשא) סימן ד
(דברים ג:כג) "וָאֶתְחַנַּן, אֶל-יְדוָד, בָּעֵת הַהִוא, לֵאמֹר"

And I beseeched the LORD at that time, saying:

דבר אחר:
"וָאֶתְחַנַּן, אֶל-יְדוָד" זה שאמר הכתוב: (ישעיהו ל:יט ) "כִּי-עַם בְּצִיּוֹן יֵשֵׁב, בִּירוּשָׁלִָם; בָּכוֹ לֹא-תִבְכֶּה, חָנוֹן יָחְנְךָ לְקוֹל זַעֲקֶךָ--כְּשָׁמְעָתוֹ, עָנָךְ.

“And I beseeched the Lord”, this is what the Scripture said “For, O people that dwellest in Zion at Jerusalem, thou shalt weep no more; He will surely be gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry, when He shall hear, He will answer thee”

מה כתיב למעלה מן העניין?
(דברים ג:יב) "וְאֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת יָרַשְׁנוּ, בָּעֵת הַהִוא; מֵעֲרֹעֵר אֲשֶׁר-עַל-נַחַל אַרְנֹן, וַחֲצִי הַר-הַגִּלְעָד וְעָרָיו--נָתַתִּי, לָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי"
למד משה את באי עולם, שלא יאמר אדם, 'הואיל וחולי שלי מסוכן, ועשה דייתיקי, וחלק כל אשר לו, לא יאמר הואיל שעשה דייתיקי, לא יתפלל עוד, אלא יתפלל, שאין הקדוש ברוך הוא פוסל תפלת כל ברייה. שהרי משה עשה דייתיקי, שנאמר: "וְעָרָיו--נָתַתִּי, לָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי", ויאיר בן מנשה לקח, (דברים ג:טו) "וּלְמָכִיר, נָתַתִּי אֶת-הַגִּלְעָד", (דברים ג:יח) "וָאֲצַו אֶתְכֶם, בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר: ידְוָד אֱלֹדֵיכֶם, נָתַן לָכֶם אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְרִשְׁתָּהּ--חֲלוּצִים תַּעַבְרוּ לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, כָּל-בְּנֵי-חָיִל"
(דברים ג:כא) "וְאֶת-יְהוֹשׁוּעַ צִוֵּיתִי, בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר: עֵינֶיךָ הָרֹאֹת, אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לִשְׁנֵי הַמְּלָכִים הָאֵלֶּה--כֵּן-יַעֲשֶׂה יְדוָד לְכָל-הַמַּמְלָכוֹת, אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹבֵר שָׁמָּה"
הרי דייתיקי.

What is written above the event? “And this land we took in possession at that time; from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill-country of Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites;”
Moshe taught those who come to the world, that a man should not say, ‘behold, my illness is dangerous and I made will, and distributed all that is mine, should not say that since I made out my will I will not pray any more, rather he should pray, that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not invalidate any prayer. That Moshe made a will as it says “gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites;” and Yair the son of Menashe took, “And I gave Gilead unto Machir” “And I commanded you at that time, saying: 'The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it; ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all the men of valour” “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying: 'Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings; so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou goest over” Behold that is a will.

שמא תאמר, עמד לו ולא התפלל?
תלמוד לומר: "וָאֶתְחַנַּן, אֶל-יְדוָד"
למה?
כדי שיכנס לארץ. זה שאמר הכתוב (תהלים סא:ב) "שִׁמְעָה אֱלֹקִים, רִנָּתִי; הַקְשִׁיבָה, תְּפִלָּתִי"
(תהלים נה:ב) "הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹקִים, תְּפִלָּתִי; וְאַל-תִּתְעַלַּם, מִתְּחִנָּתִי."

That you might say, he stood and did not pray? The Torah teaches “And I beseeched the LORD”
Why?
So that he could enter the land. This is what the Scripture says, “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.” “Give ear, O God, to my prayer; and hide not Thyself from my supplication.”

אמר לו: מה אתה מבקש?
אמר לו: (תהלים סא:ג) "מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ, אֵלֶיךָ אֶקְרָא-- בַּעֲטֹף לִבִּי;בְּצוּר-יָרוּם מִמֶּנִּי תַנְחֵנִי"
אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא:
(דברים ג: כו) "וַיִּתְעַבֵּר יְדוָד בִּי לְמַעַנְכֶם, וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלָי; וַיֹּאמֶר יְדוָד אֵלַי, רַב-לָךְ--אַל-תּוֹסֶף דַּבֵּר אֵלַי עוֹד, בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה"
אמר לו משה: ריבון העולמים, אתה קראתני משה עבדי, שנאמר: (במדבר יב:ז) "לֹא-כֵן, עַבְדִּי מֹשֶׁה: בְּכָל-בֵּיתִי, נֶאֱמָן הוּא"
אני עבד, ולויתן עבד. ואני מתחנן לפניך, והוא מתחנן לפניך, שנאמר: (איוב מ:כז) " הֲיַרְבֶּה אֵלֶיךָ, תַּחֲנוּנִים; אִם-יְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ רַכּוֹת" תחנת לויתן שמעת וכרת עמו ברית וקיימתו, שנאמר: (איוב מ:כח) "הֲיִכְרֹת בְּרִית עִמָּךְ; תִּקָּחֶנּוּ, לְעֶבֶד עוֹלָם"

He said to him, “what do you request?
He said, “From the end of the earth will I call unto Thee, when my heart fainteth; lead me to a rock that is too high for me”
Said to him the Holy One, blessed be He:
“But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and hearkened not unto me; and the LORD said unto me: 'Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto Me of this matter”
Said to Him, Moshe, “Master of worlds, you called me ‘Moshe Your servant’, as it says, “My servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house;”
I am a servant and the Leviathon is a servant. And I plead before you and he pleads before you, as it says, “Will he make many supplications unto thee? or will he speak soft words unto thee?” The plea of the Leviathon you heard and you established an agreement with him and fulfilled it, as it says, “Will he make a covenant with thee, that thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?”

ואני עבדך, ואמרת לי: (שמות לד: י) "וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת בְּרִית, נֶגֶד כָּל-עַמְּךָ אֶעֱשֶׂה נִפְלָאֹת, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-נִבְרְאוּ בְכָל-הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל-הַגּוֹיִם; וְרָאָה כָל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-אַתָּה בְקִרְבּוֹ אֶת-מַעֲשֵׂה יְדוָד, כִּי-נוֹרָא הוּא, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי, עֹשֶׂה עִמָּךְ" ולא קיימת, אלא אמרת, (דברים לב:נ) "וּמֻת, בָּהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹלֶה שָׁמָּה, וְהֵאָסֵף, אֶל-עַמֶּיךָ: כַּאֲשֶׁר-מֵת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ, בְּהֹר הָהָר, וַיֵּאָסֶף, אֶל-עַמָּיו"

And I am Your servant, and You said to me, “And He said: 'Behold, I make a covenant; before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been wrought in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD that I am about to do with thee, that it is tremendous.” And You did not fulfill it, but rather you said, “and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people.”

ולא עוד, אלא כתבת בתורתך (שמות כא:ה) "וְאִם-אָמֹר יֹאמַר, הָעֶבֶד, אָהַבְתִּי אֶת-אֲדֹנִי, אֶת-אִשְׁתִּי וְאֶת-בָּנָי; לֹא אֵצֵא, חָפְשִׁי" ואני אהבתי אותך ותורתך ובניך, "לֹא אֵצֵא, חָפְשִׁי". איני מבקש למות. (שמות כא:ו) "וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֲדֹנָיו, אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים, וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֶל-הַדֶּלֶת, אוֹ אֶל-הַמְּזוּזָה; וְרָצַע אֲדֹנָיו אֶת-אָזְנוֹ בַּמַּרְצֵעַ, וַעֲבָדוֹ לְעֹלָם" ולא קיימת עמי.

And not only that, but You wrote in Your Torah, “But if the servant shall plainly say: I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free;” And I loved You and Your Torah and Your children, “I will not go out free” I do not request to die. “then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.”

ועכשיו בבקשה ממך, שִׁמְעָה אֱלֹקִים, רִנָּתִי; הַקְשִׁיבָה, תְּפִלָּתִי"
אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא: "רַב-לָךְ", בעל דין שלך כבר הוציא עליך גזירה שתמות, וכל הבריות כמותך. אדם הראשון שאכל מן האילן, גזר מיתה לכל:

And now I request from You, , “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.”
Said to him the Holy One, blessed be He, “'Let it suffice thee” The master of your trial has already issued the decree that you will die, and all creation is like you. Primal Adam who ate from the tree, decreed death to all.