The Final Act

With the leining of both Matos and Massei this week, we of course complete Sefer Bamidbar. While it seems that the Torah is only four-fifths complete, these Parshios actually take place at the very end of Moshe Rabbinu’s life, just prior to his final address to Klal Yisroel that comprises the entirety of Sefer Devarim.

In fact at the beginning of Parshas Matos the Torah tells us that Hashem seems to reveal to Moshe Rabbeinu what was meant to be his final act as a leader: “Nekom Nikmas Bnei Yisroel M’Es HaMidyanim Achar Te’asef El Amecha” Hashem tells Moshe that he should lead Klal Yisroel in fighting against the Midayanim, after which his time would come to pass from this world. As indicated by the words “Nekom Nikmas Bnei Yisroel”, this was no ordinary war—it was essentially revenge for the ill that the Midyan caused Bnei Yisroel in Shitim, which we learn about at the end of Parshas Balak—and it was to be Moshe’s last.

Chazal, cited by many Meforshim, note that the very next Passuk tells us that Moshe spoke to the people and instructed them to prepare for war, “Lihagid Shavacho Shel Moshe”, to show us Moshe’s greatness: despite the fact that he knew that this war would immediately precede his death, he acted with the same alacrity as always, heeding the Dvar Hashem with Zrizus and Simcha. We must however understand why Hashem does in fact seem to tie the death of Moshe Rabbeinu to the war against Midyan: “Achar Te’asef El Amecha”. It seems that once this Nekama was accomplished, Moshe’s job on earth would be complete and the time of his Petirah would arrive. Why was the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu so explicitly tied to the war against Midyan?

Indeed the Medrash Rabbah seems to address this very question. The Passuk in Iyov says: “Lo Yigra MiTzadik Eynav: He does not withdraw his eyes from the Tzaddik”, which the Medrash tells us means that if a Tzaddik looks forward to a specific event, Hashem will be granted the opportunity to witness it. Accordingly, since Moshe was eager to see the Nekama against Midyan, he would not pass from this earth until that was achieved. According to the Medrash, then, it would seem that the condition of Achar Te’asef El Amecha was a kind of reward for Moshe Rabbeinu: since he wished to see the Nekama take place, he was assured that he would live to do so.

There is another Medrash however, which seems to indicate a different reasoning. The Ba’al HaTurim here quotes a Yalkut Shimoni which says that because Moshe did not act in Shitim—where the task of being Koneh the Kinas Hashem was left to Pinchas—his life was tied to the Nekama of Midyan. A simple reading of this Yalkut would seem to say that Moshe was being punished in some way for his lack of action in Shitim and it was for this reason that the end of his life was tied to the Midyanim.

How can we resolve this Yalkut and the words of the Medrash Rabbah? Was Moshe told “Achar Te’asef El Amecha” as a reward or as some form of punishment? Was the fact that he would live to see the Nekama because of his Tzidkus or was it due to a shortcoming on some level?

In general, the words of the Yalkut are somewhat difficult to understand based on the Divrei Chazal that surround the incident at Shitim.

The Gemara in Sanhedrin tells us that at the time that Moshe Rabbeinu witnessed the Aveira that was taking place involving Zimri and Kazbi, “Nisalma Mimenu Halacha”, the Halacha of “Kanaim Poggim Bo” was hidden from him. Moshe was of course previously aware of this Halacha, which dictated that in this case action could be taken against those doing the Aveira even without the due process normally afforded a person in Beis Din, but at the time he did not recall it. Pinchas, however, reminded Moshe that this was in fact the Halacha, and Moshe hinted that Pinchas should be the one to take action, which he of course did.

On the face of it this is a little difficult to understand: why would Moshe not remember the Halacha only to be reminded by his great-Nephew Pinchas? In fact, Pinchas himself noted that Moshe taught him this very Halacha, as the Gemarah tells us that he prefaced his question to Moshe by saying: “Lo Kach Limaditani B’Ridasicha MeHar Sinai? Is this not what you taught me when you came down from Har Sinai?” Why was it that at this point Moshe did not remember the Halacha, but Pinchas did?

The Ben Yohoyada explains that the answer can be seen in the way Pinchas asked the question: he said “Lo Kach Limaditani”, using the singular, and not “Limaditanu” which would be the plural. It would therefore appear that this Halacha was taught, by Moshe Rabbeinu, to Pinchas and Pinchas alone. Therefore when he subsequently witnessed the Aveira taking place, he asked Moshe: “Is this perhaps why you specifically taught me this Halacha—so that I may act at this time?” It was to this question that Moshe responded, agreeing that there must have been a reason that he had given this Halacha over to Pinchas exlusively.

This would also explain why Moshe did not remember the Halacha at that time. Chazal tell us “Nisalma Mimenu Halacha”, using a term for hidden rather than forgotten. The Halacha was hidden from Moshe Rabbeinu at that time—he did not forget it. The Sefer Sham Derech explains we see here that when someone is meant to achieve a certain success or destiny, nothing—even Teva—can stand in his way. For some reason, Pinchas was supposed to be the one to exact the Kinas Hashem and stop Zimri and Kazbi—he was the only one taught that Halacha. Because that was the case, the Halacha was momentarily hidden from Moshe Rabbeinu himself so that Pinchas could act and fulfill his role.

As we see from these Divrei Chazal, the role that Pinchas played in Shitim was reserved fro him alone—Moshe could not have completed that task even if he wanted to. As such, it is difficult to understand the words of the Yalkut quoted by the Ba’al Haturim—in what way was Moshe Rabbienu somehow lacking, on account of his inaction, such that his very life was tied to the Nikmas Hashem that would now take place?

Perhaps we can explain the Yalkut a little differently: maybe Moshe was not at all being punished for not acting at Shitim, but rather compensated in a way.

The Sifri explains that the word Midyan comes from the word “din” which can refer to argument. Hashem explained to Moshe that the nation of Midyan was so called, “SheNasnu Dinim Beini U’Bein Bnei Yisroel”. The role of the Midyanim, their strength, was that they created a Pirud or separation between Klal Yisroel and Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Midyan was not content waging physical battle against Klal Yisroel, they sought to steer them away from Derech HaYashar. Their actions in Shitim were specifically meant to draw members of the Am Hanivchar into Aveiros that were completely unbefitting of our stature.

Moshe Rabbeinu, on the other hand, spent a lifetime trying to bring Klal Yisroel closer to Avinu Shbashamayim. Time and time again we see Moshe standing up on our behalf, pleading with Hashem to look beyond our inequities, serious as they may be. In this sense, the mission of Moshe Rabbeinu was diametrically opposed to that of Midyan—where they wished to insert Pirud, Moshe meant to bring Kirva. Whereas Midyan brought Din, Moshe pled for Rachamim.

It would therefore be understandable that Moshe Rabbeinu would want nothing more than to act in Shittim—to bring to an end the Aviera that was causing such a Richuk from Hashem Yisbarach that thousands were afflicted by a Magefa. This was the moment for Moshe to stand up against the Pirud of Midyan—but he could not, because that role ws reserved for Pinchas. For whatever reason, the Moshiyan Shel Yisroel was not able to act in that moment, and his Talmid, Pinchas, took his place.

Certainly this may have caused Moshe Rabbeinu a certain amount of pain or disappointment—he would have wished to be the Shlucha D’Rachmana at that time but he could not—and he may have felt that his was an opportunity lost. Therefore, Hashem told him “Nekom Nikmas Bnei Yisroel M’Es HaMidyanim Achar Te’asef El Amecha” promising that he would yet see the ultimate Nekama against Midyan, once again fulfilling his role of destroying the Pirud between Klal Yisroel and Hashem.

The Nitziv, in Hamek Davar, explains when we do Aveiros it creates a gap between us and Hashem, and the larger and more serious the Aveira, the wider the gap and all the more difficult it is to repair the chasm. In this case, he notes, the Pirud caused by the events in Shittim was so vast that only the Teffilos of Moshe Rabbienu himself could make the repair. Only Moshe, whose lifes work was advocating on behalf of Klal Yisroel, could ensure that the Nekama against Midyan would be successful. In promising that he would live to see this to fruition, Hashem was consoling Moshe, ensuing him that he had not lost his abilities to creat Kirva when he was unable to act in Shitim.

This sense of mission can be seen by the way that Moshe Rabbeinu issues his instructions regarding the war against Midyan. Whereas Hashem spoke of “Nikmas Bnei Yisroel”, Moshe Rabbeinu refers to “Nikmas Hashem”. The Medrash tells us that Moshe Rabbeinu said to Hashem: “If we were Ovdei Avodah Zarah they would not hate us, they antagonize us only because we are Yidden, only because we have the Torah and Mitzvos that You have given us.”

By altering this phrase ever so slightly, Moshe reveals his tactic in ensuring the success of his final campaign: he reminds Hashem that we are tied to Him, that the Torah and Mitzvos separate us from the Umos HaOlam, and bring us closer to the Nossen HaTorah. In doing so, he begins to fill the void, to eliminate the Pirud that was created by our actions in Shittim. As we reflect on this final act, we must remember the message of Moshe Rabbeinu: we are different than the Umos HaOlam. Our Torah and Mitzvos make us different and separate us from those that surround us, but they bring us closer to the one that created us.