Moses still had many other blessings for every single tribe, but when
he perceived that his time had drawn to a close, he included them all
in one blessing, saying, [938] "Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like
unto thee, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and that
is the sword of thy excellency!" With these words he at the same time
answered a question that Israel had put to him, saying, "O tell us, our
teacher Moses, what is the blessing that God will bestow upon us in the
future world?" He replied: "I cannot describe it to you, but all I can
say is, happy ye that such is decreed for ye!" Moses at the same time
begged God that in the future world He might restore to Israel the
heavenly weapon that He had taken from them after the worship of the
Golden Calf. God said, "I swear that I shall restore it to them." [939]
When Moses had finished his blessing, he asked Israel to forgive his
sternness toward them, saying: "Ye have had much to bear from me in
regard to the fulfillment of the Torah and its commandments, but
forgive me now." They replied: "Our teacher, our lord, it is forgiven."
It was not their turn to ask his forgiveness, which they did in these
words: "We have often kindled thine anger and have laid many burdens
upon thee, but forgive us now." He said, "It is forgiven."
In the meanwhile people came to him and said, "The hour has come in
which thou departest from the world." Moses said, "Blessed be His name
that liveth and endureth in all eternity!" Turning to Israel, he then
said, "I pray ye, when ye shall have entered into the land of Israel,
remember me still, and my bones, and say, 'Woe to the son of Amram that
ran before us like a horse, but whose bones remained in the desert.'"
Israel said to Moses: "O our teacher, what will become of us when thou
art gone?" He replied: "While I was with ye, God was with ye; yet think
not that all the signs and miracles that He wrought through me were
performed for my sake, for much rather were they done for your sake,
and for His love and mercy, and if ye have faith in Him, He will work
your desires. [940] 'Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of
man, in whom there is no help,' for how could ye expect help from a
man, a creature of flesh and blood, that cannot shield himself from
death? Put, therefore, your trust in Him through whose word arose the
world, for He liveth and endureth in all eternity. Whether ye be laden
with sin, or not, 'pour your heart before Him,' and turn to Him."
Israel said: "'The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.' God is our
strength and our refuge." [941]
Then a voice sounded from heaven and said, "Why, Moses, dost thou
strive in vain? Thou had but one-half hour more of life in the world."
Moses, to whom God had now shown the reward of the pious in the future
world, and the gates of salvation and of consolation that He would
hereafter open to Israel, now said: "Happy art thou, O Israel: who is
like unto thee, a people saved by the Lord!" He then bade farewell to
the people, weeping aloud. He said: "Dwell in peace, I shall see ye
again at the Resurrection," and so he went forth from them, weeping
aloud. Israel, too, broke into loud lamentations, so that their weeping
ascended to the highest heavens.
Moses took off his outer garment, rent his shirt, strewed dust upon his
head, covered it like a mourner, and in this condition betook himself
to his tent amid tears and lamentations, saying: "Woe to my feet that
may not enter the land of Israel, woe to my hands that may not pluck of
its fruits! Woe to my palate that may not taste the fruits of the land
that flows with milk and honey!" [942]
Moses then took a scroll, wrote upon it the Ineffable Name, and the
book of the song, and betook himself to Joshua's tent to deliver it to
him. [943] When he arrived at Joshua's tent, Joshua was seated, and
Moses remained standing before him in a bowed attitude without being
noticed by Joshua. For God brought this to pass in order that Moses, on
account of this disrespectful treatment, might himself wish for death.
For when Moses had prayed to God to let him live, were it only as a
private citizen, God granted his prayer, saying to him, "If thou hast
no objection to subordinating thyself to Joshua, then mayest thou
live," and in accordance with this agreement, Moses had betaken himself
to hear Joshua's discourse.
The people who had gathered as usual before Moses' tent to hear from
him the word of God, failed to find him there, and hearing that he had
gone to Joshua, went there likewise, where they found Moses standing
and Joshua seated. "What art thou thinking of," they called out to
Joshua, "that thou art seated, while thy teacher Moses stands before
thee in a bowed attitude and with folded hands?" In their anger and
indignation against Joshua, they would instantly have slain him, had
not a cloud descended and interposed itself between the people and
Joshua. When Joshua noticed that Moses stood before him, he instantly
arose, and cried in tears: "O my father and teacher Moses, that like a
father didst rear me from my youth, and that didst instruct me in
wisdom, why dost thou do such a thing as will bring upon me Divine
punishment?" The people now besought Moses as usual to instruct them in
the Torah, but he replied, "I have no permission to do so." They did
not, however, cease importuning him, until a voice sounded from heaven
and said, "Learn from Joshua." The people now consented to acknowledge
Joshua as their teacher, and seated themselves before him to hear his
discourse. Joshua now began his discourse with Moses sitting at his
right, and Aaron's sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, at this left. But hardly
had Joshua begun his lecture with the words, "Praised be God that
taketh delight in the pious and their teachings," when the treasures of
wisdom vanished from Moses and passed over into Joshua's possession, so
that Moses was not even able to follow his disciple Joshua's discourse.
When Joshua had finished his lecture, Israel requested Moses to review
with them what Joshua had taught, but he said, "I know not how to reply
to your request!" He began to expound Joshua's lecture to them, but
could not, for he had not understood it. He now said to God: "Lord of
the world! Until not I wished for life, but now I long to die. Rather a
hundred deaths, than one jealousy." [944]