August 1, 2006
What Was Schlecht?
It seems fairly obvious, at least to me, that the beginning of Parshas Va'eschanan (Deut 3:23-29) is more relevant to the narrative of the previous parsha. Rashi explains on "at that time," as, "after conquering Sichon and Og." So, keeping in mind the narrative from Parshas Devarim, Moshe felt that after defeating the giants, he had rectified whatever had caused God to bar him from entering the Land of Israel. Which seems a bit strange; the events with the hitting/speaking to the rock are consipcuously absent.
The best explanation I have heard for the events in Parshas Chukas (when Moshe hits the rock rather than speaking to it) seem to revolve around Moshe looking at the current generation as equivalent to the previous generation (thus his instinct is to hit the rock, which worked back in the old days, rather than to talk to it). But this doesn't clarify what Moshe thought was fixed now that he had defeated the giants.
I don't have a cogent answer, so any help would be appreciated.
The commentaries on rashi (maharal, mizrachi, or hachaim) all try to resolve this. Maharal says that since Reuven & Gad took over the lands of Sichon & Og, it is part of EY. So Moshe is in Israel despite G-d's promise. Since once part of a shevuah is batul it's completely batul, the shavua that Moshe wouldn't go into EY is over. However, the Maharal adds, while the promise is null & void, the punishment still stands. Hence the pryer.
Another perush says that Moshe's sin was Yaan Lo hiskadashti bsoch Bnei Yisrael. He felt he fixed that with this battle.
Posted by: anon at August 6, 2006 3:01 AMThe commentaries on rashi (maharal, mizrachi, or hachaim) all try to resolve this. Maharal says that since Reuven & Gad took over the lands of Sichon & Og, it is part of EY. So Moshe is in Israel despite G-d's promise. Since once part of a shevuah is batul it's completely batul, the shavua that Moshe wouldn't go into EY is over. However, the Maharal adds, while the promise is null & void, the punishment still stands. Hence the pryer.
Another perush says that Moshe's sin was Yaan Lo hiskadashti bsoch Bnei Yisrael. He felt he fixed that with this battle.
Posted by: anon at August 6, 2006 3:03 AM
