PARSHAT VAYEILECH by Yehuda HaKohen. This is another point of view on this portion of the Torah for the Shabbat before Yom Kippur.
“Moshe went and spoke these words to all of Israel. He said to them, `I am a hundred and twenty years old today; I can no longer go out and come in, for HaShem has said to me `You shall not cross the Jordan’. HaShem, your G-D – He will cross before you, and you shall possess them; Yehoshua – he shall cross over before you, as HaShem has spoken.'” (DEVARIM 31:1-3)
Moshe – who taught, guided and nurtured the Hebrew Nation for forty years in the wilderness – was not to be permitted into the Promised Land. The prophet who had received the Torah on Israel’s behalf would have to take leave of his people just before the liberation of our homeland and the establishment of G-D’s Divine Kingdom therein.
The most well known explanation for why Moshe was forbidden from crossing the Jordan is that he had once lost his patience with Israel and struck a rock. The Midrash, however, explains that this incident was only when the punishment took effect. In truth, it had been decreed decades earlier that Moshe would be prohibited from crossing the Jordan.
“G-D said to Moshe, `Whoever acknowledges his homeland is buried in his homeland. Yosef acknowledged his homeland, as it is written, `for indeed I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews…’ (BEREISHIT 40:15). You did not acknowledge your homeland… How? The daughters of Yitro said, `An Egyptian man saved us from the shepherds’ (SHEMOT 2:19). You heard them and remained silent. Therefore you will not be buried in your homeland.'” (Devarim Rabbah 2:8)
Although he had been raised as royalty in Pharaoh’s palace and had never in his life actually seen the Land of Israel, Moshe was held accountable for allowing himself to be called “an Egyptian man.” Regardless of where we each currently reside, Jews should be vigilant never to view ourselves as belonging to any nation or country other than our own. Moshe, the paradigm of Hebrew unity and national responsibility – who killed an Egyptian on the spot for merely striking an Israeli slave – was severely penalized for neglecting to protest when being referred to as an Egyptian. This episode illustrates the gravity of viewing ourselves as German, French, American or any nationality other than Israeli. We must understand that Israel is one people with one country and one common destiny and that our national objectives reflect the Torah’s blueprint for an ideal perfect world. And it is only through the advancement of Israel’s national aspirations that history can reach its goal of humanity attaining higher consciousness and total blessing according to HaShem’s Divine plan.
With love of Israel,
-Yehuda HaKohen
