We will now add a fascinating tidbit from the sacred teachings of Rabeinu Yaakov, the Ba’al HaTurim (O.C. 115). He discusses the fifth berachah of Shemoneh Esrei, the berachah of “hashiveinu,” a supplication for teshuvah:
"חמישית השיבנו... ויש בה ט"ו תיבות, כנגד ט"ו תיבות שבפסוק (ישעיה נה-ז) יעזוב רשע דרכו [ואיש און מחשבותיו וישוב אל ה' וירחמהו ואל אלקינו כי ירבה לסלוח]... וגדולה תשובה שמגעת עד כסא הכבוד, ומן הארץ לרקיע מהלך ת"ק שנה, ועוביו של רקיע מהלך ת"ק שנה, וכן כל אויר שבין רקיע לרקיע, נמצא שבעה אוירים, ושבעה רקיעים, ולמעלה מהם כסא הכבוד, שהתשובה מגעת שם הרי ט"ו".It (the fifth berachah of “hashiveinu”) is composed of 15 words corresponding to the 15 words in the passuk (Yeshayah 55, 7): “Let the wicked man forsake his way (and the iniquitous man his thoughts; let him return to Hashem, and He will show him mercy; to our G-d, for He is abundantly forgiving)” . . . And teshuvah is so great that it reaches the Kisei HaKavod; and from the earth to the heaven is a 500-year journey; and the thickness of the heaven is a 500-year journey; and so, too, is the airspace between one heaven and the next heaven. Thus, there are seven airspaces and seven heavens; and above them is the Kisei HaKavod to which the act of teshuvah reaches; so, there are 15 in all.
The Beis Yosef explains his meaning: There are seven heavens; there are six airspaces between them; from the earth to the first heaven is an additional airspace; and from the uppermost heaven to the Kisei HaKavod is another airspace. Altogether there are 15 (500-year distances) from the earth to the Kisei HaKavod.
We can now return to the words of the Agra D’Kallah, who provides clarification of what the Megaleh Amukos deduced from the Midrash. After Moshe Rabeinu had offered 515 tefilos that opened up all the gates of heaven by eliminating all of the barriers that exist between the earth and the Kisei HaKavod, he wanted to offer one more tefilah to be allowed to enter the land. Had he done so, that last tefilah would have ascended directly to the Kisei HaKavod, and he would have entered the land.
Unfortunately, Yisrael were not worthy of that happening. For, the time of the geulah with Moshe leading them into the land had not yet arrived. Therefore, HKB”H prevented him from praying that final tefilah. This then is the implication of what Moshe Rabeinu said to Yisrael: “Hashem became angry with me because of you, and He did not listen to me; Hashem said to me, ‘It is too much for you! Do not continue to speak to Me further concerning this matter.’” In other words, HKB”H insisted that Moshe not offer one more tefilah on the grounds that He would be compelled to accept it, and Yisrael were not yet worthy.
Moshe Shattered All the Iron Barriers to Pave the Way for Yisrael’s Tefilos
Based on the insights of these two great luminaries—the Megaleh Amukos and the Agra D’Kallah—I would like to propose a novel explanation with the utmost reverence and adoration. As a result of the 515 supplications of Moshe Rabeinu, Yisrael’s foremost prophet and its loyal shepherd, Moshe shattered all the iron barriers that exist between the earth and the Kisei HaKavod. Thus, he paved the way for all of Yisrael’s tefilos to be received and accepted with divine mercy and divine goodwill by HKB”H sitting atop His Kisei HaKavod.
This leads us to an incredible conclusion. In reality, all of Moshe Rabeinu’s 515 tefilos, bar none, were accepted by HKB”H with “rachamim” and “ratzon.” In other words, each tefilah shattered one iron barrier. It was precisely for this reason that after Moshe completed all 515 supplications, HKB”H stopped him by saying: “Do not continue to speak to Me further concerning this matter.” For, had he offered one more tefilah, it would have most definitely reached the Kisei HaKavod. That would have forced HKB”H to accept it and let him into the land; but the time for that had not yet arrived.
