VoEschanan,
This week’s Torah Portion always is read during the week of Tisha BeAv which commemorates the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh.
We have to ask ourselves ,what is the connection between the recounting of the giving of the Decalogue which are commonly called the Ten Commandments, and the destruction of the Temple?
Where in the Decalogue is there a hint for ahavas chinom - love for no reason other than kinship of each Jew for each other ?
What is the relationship if any of any of the themes of the Sidra to the destruction?
We know that the first Temple was destroyed on account of our excessive emulation of the Gentile nations,wanting to be like them and worshiping their g-ds like them. This is the theme of the second Aliyah which is read on the morning of Tisha BeAv.
This by itself fails to explain the innermost relationship with the Torah reading.
The word VoEschanan is said to be one of the words for prayer . It literally means “and I pleaded for Grace”. This means that Moshe had no illusion that his faults were serious. However, since G-D is compassionate perhaps G-D would agree to let Moshe just enter
The Land .
Nonetheless one wonders why Moshe wasn’t more forceful. After all ,
Moshe suffered on account of the Beney Yisroel and was exiled because of his defense of an individual slave . For his efforts Moshe was almost executed and had to be exiled for 68 years according to
Rashi. After all the attacks and embarrassments Moshe received fron the common folk , they are going to enter the Promised Land. Moshe who got them there and agonized and suffered for them so that they could survive ,won’t be able to go!
It doesn’t seem fair! Why didn’t Moshe demand to go by right ?
After his first questioning of G-D’ s ways Moshe learned that G-D was beyond understanding. If by the Divive Judgement he deserved to be denied access , then he couldn’t demand . Rather he pleaded for mercy ! Mercy can trump Justice as it shows a higher level of relationship.
Moshe’s faults weren’t sins in the usual sense . For Moshe would never violate G-D’s rules . The only reason for his early demise and
Burial in the exile have to do with the people not Moshe himself.
Only because the new generation could not relate to Moshe and his level of holiness , did he have to be replaced with Yehoshua.
In that case Moshe asked that even though the judgement was that Moshe could not lead , Moshe was willing to take a secondary position as long as he could merit to do the Mitzvos of Eretz Yisrael.
In the world of G-D, Kindness can overlook sin but cannot tolerate it .
Justice can wipe out sin by punishing it . Only Mercy can tolerate sin and transform it. Moshe was asking for the toleration of his faults so that he could enter the Land . Even though Justice demanded that he had finished his task and what wasn’t completed could be done by another , Moshe argued that his usefulness as a leader wasn’t the only criteria.
Rather, Moshe argued , that he could serve as a stabilizing force and inspiration so that the People of Israel would fulfill their mission in the Land sooner and insure that G-D’s purpose in the world could be met sooner.
G-D answered that although it would be easier for the common folk to obey the Mitzvos if Moshe were still alive, nonetheless a Mitzvoh done out Choice was the superior and desired preference. In other words G-D removed Moshe in order that we serve out of choice not tradition, out of self commitment rather than adherence to family
Practice.
Had Moshe lived on , our fulfillment of the Torah would be suspect if we really meant it. This is the meaning of G-d removed me for your sake in the second verse of the Torah Reading. The usual translation of Vayisabayr means “and He became angry upon me for your sake”.
I believe it means “He transposed me for your sake- G-D removed me, Moshe, so that your Mitzvos will be on the highest level!”
Therefore continues Moshe ,if so Shema -heed the Mitzvos because
Otherwise you will have caused my death for no purpose and you would be deemed responsible for that as well!