Rabbi Rael Blumenthal

Of all the parshiyos in Torah, Moshe is most revealing in Parshas Va'eschanan: וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה' – I begged Hashem... Please let me enter Eretz Yisrael.

It's a dream that Klal Yisrael has harbored for two millennia. One that we are finally able to fulfill in our generation. But for Moshe, that was not an option.

These pesukim are painful to read.

But what happened to Moshe's tefillos? The Medrash tells us that Moshe davened 515 separate tefillos, begging Hashem to allow him to enter Eretz Yisrael. The Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 3:14) paskens אֵין לָךְ דָּבָר שֶׁעוֹמֵד בִּפְנֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה – There is nothing that stands in the way of Teshuva, and we must assume that Moshe did Teshuva; he is, after all, Moshe Rabbeinu.

So why did he fail?

The Megaleh Amukos wrote a Sefer where he spells out these tefillos – each one different and beautiful. The Matamei Yitzchak (R' Yitzchak of Hamburg) explains that this number of 515 includes every Shmoneh Esrei from Tu B'Av until the seventh of Adar, when Moshe died. For 515 Shmoneh Esreis, Moshe is asking Hashem: please let me in. Why did Hashem say no?

Furthermore, we have to wonder: why does Moshe tell the Jewish people of this failure? Is it not the most disheartening Parsha in all of Torah to know that even Moshe Rabbeinu couldn't achieve Teshuva? What is left for us?

I want to suggest that this was Moshe's deepest and most personal Torah. Moshe explains: וַיִּתְעַבֵּר ה' בִּי לְמַעַנְכֶם – Hashem got angry with me לְמַעַנְכֶם. The Meforshim grapple with this word לְמַעַנְכֶם. Truthfully, it should read בגללכם – because of you. You caused me to fail. (Indeed, this is how Unkelos translates it, and how Rashi explains it.)

The Netziv (echoed in Radatz and Rav Hirsch), however, explains:

אינו כמו משמעות בגללכם שהוא בסיבתכם אלא למענכם משמעו לטובתכם ולא נתבאר טובה זו מה היא

The word למענכם means “for you,” for your benefit, but the Torah does not tell us what that benefit is...

Each of these Gedolim has his own understanding of what the benefit to Klal Yisrael is, but I want to suggest that this tova is indeed written in the very next pesukim.

וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁמַע אֶל הַחֻקִּים וְאֶל הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְלַמֵּד אֶתְכֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּ וּבָאתֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֶת הָאָרֶץ...

And now, Yisrael, listen to the laws that I am teaching you... that you may live, and come and possess the land which Hashem is giving to you...

What does Moshe mean when he says “and now”? Now what?

Now that you understand that even Moshe can fail. That all people can fail. Now that you understand that we are not ready for a world of Mashiach. Now that you know that life is short. Now that you know that even the greatest leader can mess up.

Now, in this world of ups and downs, “Please,” says Moshe, “listen to what I have to say: וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה' אֱלֹקיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם. – You can connect to Hashem despite the tzaros. And that's what real life is about.”

It is from this understanding that Moshe now directs and instructs his people. He reminds them of the great heights of Matan Torah, and tells them of great lows – the Egel and the story of Tisha B'Av.

In our Parsha, Moshe teaches us Sh'ma Yisrael. He teaches us (Perek 7:7-8) that: לֹא מֵרֻבְּכֶם מִכָּל הָעַמִּים חָשַׁק ה' בָּכֶם – Hashem doesn't love you because you are numerous. He loves you because you are His.

And most importantly, no matter where you go, וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם מִשָּׁם אֶת ה' אֱלֹקיךָ וּמָצָאתָ – you can find Hashem – כִּי תִדְרְשֶׁנּוּ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ – so long as you seek Him with everything you have.

You can still find Hashem, no matter what happens. This is the למענכם – this is why Moshe couldn't go into Eretz Yisrael. So that we could know that even when we have nothing, we have Hashem. We don't need to be smart, we don't need to be talented, we don't need to be wealthy.

Even when we fail, Hashem is there.

Wherever You Are

Rebbe Nosson writes (ליקוטי הלכות הלכות ראש חודש ו:יא):

וּבָזֶה טוֹעִים רֹב בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד אוֹמֵר אִם הָיָה לוֹ פַּרְנָסָה הָיָה עוֹבֵד ה'... רַק יֵדַע וְיַאֲמִין שֶׁבְּחִירָתוֹ תְּלוּיָה דַּיְקָא בְּאֹפֶן זֶה,...

So many people are mistaken in this area: “If only I was wealthy, I would serve Hashem!” ... But know and trust that you have the freedom of choice specifically in this area.

We get to choose how to relate to our challenges.

But, one could argue, it's not fair! Hashem, You asked me to love You בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ – with all our hearts, with all our lives, and with all of our resources. What if the life You gave me doesn't give me the passion, time, or resources to love You, Hashem?! What then?

The Imrei Emes explains: How can a Jew who has no money love Hashem with all his money? “Imagine,” he explains, “that a person with nothing was offered a million dollars to do an aveira. You would never do it! So you can love Hashem with all the money in the world – even if you don't have it!”

Rashi comments: ובכל נפשך – אפילו נוטל את נפשך. With all your soul – even if He is taking your life.

The Tiferes Shlomo explains that this refers to a Jew who has no cheshek – no drive, no passion – and simply isn't feeling it. No problem! There is nothing better than a completely uninspired Jew who still comes to shul. You can love Hashem even without a drive to do so.

The Kotzker (brought in Shem Mishmuel) famously comments on the pasuk: וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם עַל לְבָבֶךָ – these words should be on your heart... Surely it should be in your heart? No, says the Kotzker. Getting it into your heart is hard. We have a tough shell of ego, emotions, desires, and agendas surrounding our hearts. So the Torah tells us, place these words on your heart. That way, one day, when we finally open our hearts, everything will just fall into place.

This is the לְמַעַנְכֶם that Moshe was teaching us. No matter what, no matter where, we can always find Him. There are no prerequisites.

Or, as R' Elimelech of Lizensk used to say: Ribono Shel Olam, if You want me in Gan Eden, I'll go to Gan Eden, and if You want me in Gehinnom, I'll go to Gehinnom. All that I want is that You tell me.

That's the nechama of this Shabbos: the comfort of knowing that as long as I'm alive, Hashem is telling me where to find Him.

May it be in Yerushalayim with the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.