32:48 “וידבר ד' אל משה בעצם היום הזה לאמר”
“Hashem spoke to Moshe on that very day, saying.”
What does it mean that Hakodosh Boruch Hu spoke to Moshe Rabbeinu, “בעצם היום הזה”? Additionally, what does the Posuk mean when it says, “לאמר” – saying – when this was not going to be repeated to anyone?
Rashi says that there are places in the Torah that the words, “בעצם היום הזה” are said. Similarly, here too, by the death of Moshe Rabbeinu, it says these words, because Klal Yisroel were saying: By such and such we swear that if we perceive that Moshe Rabbeinu is about to die, we will not let him. A man who took us out of Mitzrayim, parted the Sea for us, brought down the Mon for us, made the S’lav fly to us, brought the well to us, and gave us the Torah – we will not let him die. Hakodosh Boruch Hu responded, “Behold I will take him in at midday.” This Rashi seems very difficult to understand. Did Klal Yisroel not know that they can’t stand in the way of the Rotzon Hashem, as it says in Mishlei, “אין חכמה ואין עצה ואין תבונה לנגד ד' ”? How could they have even thought that they could possibly do something to stop Moshe’s death – when that would have been against the Rotzon Hashem? We learn from this that regarding a Gadol Hador it is permitted for one to say that if it would be possible for him to do so, he would do everything in his power to ensure that the Gadol doesn’t die. Although it sounds like one is rebelling against Hakodosh Boruch Hu – that he is going against Him, similar to that which the Gemara in Bava Kamma says 38a about those who say to the mourners – “What could you do” – as if to say, if we could do something against the Rotzon Hashem, we would, but we can’t. Nonetheless, here it is permitted to say it, as a Kovod for the Gadol Hador, due to the great Tza’ar that they have. Thus, the Posuk says, “בעצם היום” – to teach us that we should say that if we had any way to save the great Moshe Rabbeinu from passing from this world, we would, but we can’t, because it is the Rotzon Hashem. (קול רם)
“ה”
The Ba’al Haturim says that this Posuk begins with a “ה”and ends with a י', for Moshe Rabbeinu included the Shem Hashem of י -ה in this Shira. Why did Moshe Rabbeinu specifically add this Shem Hashem? The leader of a generation, and the people of that generation, are like a Shidduch, just like a husband and wife. Chazal tell us that if a husband and wife are Zoche, then the Shechina is there with them, and if not, then the fire consumes them. איש and אשה the husband and wife, the י' of the man, and the ה' of the woman, are the Shem Hashem. If they are not Zoche, then the י' and the “ה”are removed, and what remains of both of them is, “אש.” Moshe Rabbeinu begins the rebuke with the Shem Hashem, alluding that if Klal Yisroel accept the rebuke, then they will be Zoche, and will have the Shechina reside amongst them. Alternatively, the Arizal says that the Shem Hashem of י -ה has the same Gematria as the word, “גאוה ” – for if one has Kavanah for this Shem Hashem, it is a Segulah for him to remove and nullify his גאוה, arrogance. Thus, before Moshe begins giving his rebuke, he uses this Shem Hashem, so that Klal Yisroel should focus on it, and remove their arrogance, so that they can accept the rebuke. (יצב אברהם)
“וידבר ד' אל משה בעצם היום הזה לאמר ” – “Hashem spoke to Moshe on that very day, saying.” What is the word, “לאמר” teaching us here? Who was this being repeated to? The word, “לאמר ” can be split into, “לא מר” this was not bitter. The Posuk is telling us that although it appeared to be bitter to those down here in this world; this was truly not bitter. The holy Moshe Rabbeinu – his Neshama was returning to be directly with Hakodosh Boruch Hu, after he purified his Guf in this world, and fulfilled the Rotzon Hashem throughout his life. (ברכת הרי"ח)
Hoshea 14:2,3 “שובה ישראל עד ד' אלקיך...קחו עמכם דברים” – “Yisroel – return to Hashem, your G-d...Take words with you.”
Many ask, how could it be that Teshuva could work to fix that which one ruined with his sins? Teshuva is saying Vidui, regretting the past, and removing the sin from oneself – so that he not do it again – however there is no action in any of these – rather they are all words. How could words nullify that which one did with action? Didn’t we learn in Meseches Kiddushin 59a, “לא אתי דיבור ומבטל מעשה” – one cannot bring words to nullify an action? Klal Yisroel are different than all other nations of the world, in that they have the Koach Haddibur, the power of speech, that their speech can create a מעשה, an action. The proof is that Klal Yisroel are Mispalel and it brings rain. They are Mispalel for many things – using their mouths, speech – and Hakodosh Boruch Hu is Mekayeim their words. Their words cause action, and are thus considered action. Here too, the Koach Haddibur of Teshuva, can nullify the action of sins that were transgressed. With this we can understand why Teshuva only works for Klal Yisroel, and not for other nations of the world. There is another source that we can bring that the words of Klal Yisroel are like action. Menochos 110a – When the Posuk in Vayikra 7:37 says, “זאת התורה לעולה ” – that one who toils in the Parsha of the Olah, it is as if he brought a Korbon Olah on the Mizbe’ach. One who toils in the Parsha of Chatas, it is as if he brought a Korbon Chatas. We see clearly from here that speech is like an actual action, as the learning of the Korbonos causes it to be as if one literally brought those Korbonos – the speech caused the action of bringing those Korbonos. Similarly, one reciting Vidui has the power to nullify one’s evil actions. This is what the Navi is telling us, “שובה ישראל עד ד' אלקיך כי כשלת בעונך” – Klal Yisroel are to return to Hakodosh Boruch Hu for they stumbled in sin – they did actions which transgressed the Rotzon Hashem. “קחו עמכם דברים – ושובו אל ד'” – Take words, and with words you can return to Hashem. If one will ask, but how can words come and nullify actions? To this the Navi continues and says, “ואמרו אליו כל תשא עון” – we are to say to Hakodosh Boruch Hu that He should accept our words, “וקח טוב” – and we should take goodness, which is Torah and Tefilah, and are called, “good” for we have a proof that our words work, “ונשלמה פרים שפתינו ” – for we know that in the place of actually bringing Korbonos, we can speak words of the Parshah, and it is as if we actually brought those Korbonos – so too we can say words that will nullify our evil actions which we perpetrated against Hakodosh Boruch Hu. (ברכת חיים)
Now we can understand what the Posuk means by, “בעצם היום הזה” and what the word, “לאמר” means here. Moshe Rabbeinu was about to leave this world. Klal Yisroel did not want him to leave this world. They said that they would not let him leave – and Hakodosh Boruch Hu took Moshe from this world in front of all of them – and of course no one was able to stop Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Klal Yisroel were distraught that their great leader, Moshe Rabbeinu was about to be taken from them. Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest advocate for Klal Yisroel. Whenever Klal Yisroel sinned, Moshe put himself on the line and did everything necessary in order to obtain a Kapparah for Klal Yisroel. Now that Moshe was no longer going to be here – what would Klal Yisroel do? How will they survive?
The Torah gives us the answer in one word, “לאמר”. The Koach Haddibur – the power of speech. Hakodosh Boruch Hu beseeches Klal Yisroel to do Teshuva. One can say words, and those words are so powerful, that they can change former actions – evil actions, and make them good. We must take this lesson, and do a proper Teshuva, so that we should be Zoche to a גמר חתימה טובה. May we utilize the great Chesed of Hakodosh Boruch Hu of doing Teshuva, and be Zoche to have a Gut Gebentched Yur.
