One thing that struck me in last week's parsha is Moshe's Rabeinu's response -- or lack thereof -- to being told that as a result of the sin of Mei Meriva he will not be able to enter Eretz Yisrael. After Hashem passes this sentence on Moshe, the parsha immediately jumps (20:14) into the story of Moshe sending messengers to the king of Edom asking permission for Bnei Yisrael to be able to pass through his land. It's incredible -- here Moshe's lifelong dream of entering Eretz Yisrael has just been crushed, and he doesn't say a word. There are so many interpretations of what Moshe might have done wrong; you would think that Moshe would ask Hashem to clarify what it was that sealed his fate. You would think that Moshe would daven and ask Hashem for forgiveness, as he did so many time for Bnei Yisrael, but he doesn't (at least not here and not now). Instead, it's right back to business as usual, dealing with Edom.
Daughter #1 suggested since Moshe's sin was rooted in his having an emotional reaction to the rebellion (this fits well with the view that holds his sin was getting angry or calling the people rebellious), his response to Hashem's words was one of stoicism. The response served as a tikun for the cheit.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
va'yidome Moshe.
ReplyDeleteand for this "stoicism" he was rewarded by the shliach's use of the term 'angel' (Rashi, 20:16b), term neither scripted by the navi nor premeditated by the speaker. Moshe only learned of this spontaneous [inspired] valuation later, when taking dictation...