Parashat Vayelekh
Knowing One’s
Place, Knowing One’s Time
Several midrashim
deal with Moses’ reluctance to turn leadership over to Joshua.
By Avi Weinstein
The following article is reprinted with permission from Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.
Vayelekh is a prelude to a song. Moshe and the Holy One take
turns encouraging Joshua to take heart as he leads his people into the Promised
Land. Then Moshe gives a final mitzvah to the Priests, Levites and Elders of
Israel. They are to hear "this teaching" during Sukkot when all are
gathered once every seven years for the Sabbatical year. Then Moshe is told it
is nearly time to "lie with your fathers."
The Holy One views Moshe's immanent demise as a signal for
Israel to go astray seeing them as unable to resist the idolatrous ways of her
neighbors. He dictates a song that He requires to be on the mouths of the
people as a testimony to their wickedness. Moshe reiterates these words to the
people with a personal imprimatur. "Throughout my life you have been
defiant and stiff-necked, how much more so after I'm dead."
The parashah ends and we get to hear the poem next week.
We know that earlier in Deuteronomy that Moshe pleaded with the Holy One to
pardon him and allow him to enter the land with his people. Moshe is rebuked
harshly by the Holy One and told in no uncertain terms that the subject is
closed. Now, Moshe is told that his demise is directly related to the
degeneration of his people. The following Midrash when understood in this
context not only has Moshe pleading for his own life, but maybe much more?
Midrash Tanchuma, Parshat Vaetchanan
The Holy One said: This is the way of the world, each
generation has its teachers, each generation has its maintainers, each
generation has its leaders. Until now it was your turn to serve, and now it is
Joshua, your student's turn. Moses said, "Sovereign of the universe, if it
is because of Joshua I must die, I'll go and be his student.”
God said, "If this is what you wish, go ahead and try!" Moshe
awakened early and hurried to the doorway of Joshua, and Joshua was sitting and
teaching. Moshe stood stooped over, and placed his hand over his mouth, and
Joshua was not aware of his presence and ignored him so that Moses would feel
bad and reconcile himself to his fate.
The people of Israel went to Moses' tent but then found Moses at Joshua's tent,
with Joshua sitting and Moses standing. They called out, "What is this,
that Moses stands while you sit there and teach?" When Joshua tore his
eyes away and saw Moses, he tore his clothes, and wailed, crying, "Rebbe,
Rebbe, Father, Father, Master!!
The whole of Israel said to Moses, "Moses our Rebbe, teach us Torah. He
said to them, "I don't have permission." They said to him, "We
will not leave you." A heavenly voice called out, and said, "Learn
from Joshua!" So, they accepted the voice and sat and learned from Joshua.
Joshua sat at the head, Moses was on the right and Elazar and Itamar (priestly
sons of Aaron) were on the left, and Joshua taught the multitudes in front of
Moses.
Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: When Joshua began
with the words, "Blessed be the One who chose the righteous and their
teachings..." The tradition of wisdom was removed from Moses and given to
Joshua, and Moses no longer understood what Joshua was teaching.
After awhile the whole of Israel arose and said to Moses, "Summarize the
teaching for us!" Moses said, "I don't know what to tell you."
Moses stumbled and fell, and at that moment, he said, “Until now I have wished
for life, and now my soul is offered up to you.”
Your Midrash Navigator
1. Why does God allow Moshe to try to be Joshua's student?
2. Is it possible that Moshe would be allowed to live if he could tolerate his
new status?
3. Why did God remove wisdom from Moshe?
4. Can wisdom be removed from one and given to another? What does this mean to
you?
5. What makes Moshe accept his fate?
Now we have a different midrash which views Moshe as actively paving the way
for his successor.
Sifre Devarim, Netzavim, Vayelech
“God said to Moses, Take for yourself Joshua Ben
Nun..." (Number 27:18) A man such as you. The word "take" is
used, for a friend is acquired through taking through the greatest of
hardships. Thus it was stated in Avot of Rebbe Natan: A person should acquire a
friend to eat with, to sleep with and reveal all secrets to him. Thus it is
written: "A three stranded thread will not unravel quickly."
(Ecclesiastes 4:9)
The Holy Spirit responded to Moses: Give a spokesman to Moses, and let him ask
questions, interpret verses and give rulings while you are still alive, so that
when you die Israel will not say to him, "When your teacher was alive you
did not speak, and NOW you speak!!.
There are those who say, that Moses lifted Joshua up and placed him on his lap,
and Moses and Israel together would lift their heads to hear the sound of
Joshua's words. What would [Joshua] say, "Blessed be the Lord who gave the
Torah to Israel through the hands of Moses our teacher," and these are the
words of Joshua.
Your Midrash Navigator
1. Compare the two midrashim. Do they contradict or
complement each other?
2. If you see the two midrashim as two different stages in Moshe's development,
does this change your opinion?
3. The Midrash already acknowledges that Moshe has asked for a successor way
before the beginning of Deuteronomy. How do you understand that Moshe is still
arguing to go across the Jordan?
4. Can one lead when one's predecessor is still active within the community?
A Word
Moshe has been told that Israel will certainly revert to
their old ways because of his absence. Even though Joshua is encouraged to take
heart, there is an understanding that moral leadership under Joshua will not be
the same.
Moshe doesn't understand why it is more important for him to depart than to supply
the moral leadership that is essential for Israel not to go astray. It is as if
the Holy One says, sooner or later, ready or not, there comes a time when a
people must assume responsibility for its own behavior. Even though I expect
Israel to fail the test, and I will now dictate a poem that will show my future
hiding is a result of their moral decline,
Your place Moshe is on this side of the Jordan. They will rely on you no more.
One cannot blame one's own failings on the absence of moral
leadership. Vicarious pride in the righteous among us says little of our own
achievements. Ultimately, the place to look for moral failings is from within.
Provided by Hillel’s
Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Learning, which creates innovative
educational resources based on Jewish texts and trains Hillel students,
professionals, and lay leaders to infuse Jewish content throughout their
activities. © 2002 Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.
