מספרך נא מחני אין ואם חטאתם תשא אם ועתה” (לב לב) “כתבת אשר
It would seem enough for Moshe to say: “Erase me from Your sefer.” Why did he then add “that You wrote”?
The Lev Simcha explained this according to the Zohar (Zohar Hachadash Shir Hashirim 74b) that there are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah. But it is well known that this determination does not fit in with reality because the actual number of letters in the Torah is only half of this amount. The explanation is that besides the Torah that was given to us, there is another Torah in front of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and as Rashi says (according to Sifri, Bamidbar 134) on the passuk (Bamidbar 27:7): “Kein Bnos Tzelafchad dovros” – “this is how this parashah is written in front of Me On High,” and the passuk says (Tehillim 119:89): “L’olam Hashem devarecha nitzav baShamayim.” From here we can explain what the Zohar means, that both Sifrei Torah together have six hundred thousand letters.
In light of this, we can explain that Moshe says here: “Mecheini na” he asked that his name be erased from both seforim, “misifrecha,” from Your sefer that You gave to Am Yisrael, and from the sefer “that You wrote,” and is with You On High. And that is also the meaning of the request said at the end of Shemoneh Esreh, “vesein chelkeinu beSorasecha,” that Hashem should give us a share also in the Torah written in front of Him On High.
Lev Simcha, Yisro 5738, Ki Sisa, Amarim
