When Moses died, a voice resounded from heaven throughout all the camp
of Israel, which measured twelve miles in length by twelve in width,
and said, "Woe! Moses is dead. Woe! Moses is dead." All Israel who,
throughout thirty days before Moses' decease, had wept his impending
death now arranged a three months' time of mourning for him. [954] But
Israel were not the only mourners for Moses, God himself wept for
Moses, saying, "Who will rise up for Me against the evil-doers? Who
will stand up for Me against the workers of iniquity?" Metatron
appeared before God and said: "Moses was thine when he lived, and he is
Thine in his death." God replied: "I weep not for Moses' sake, but for
the loss Israel suffered through his death. How often had they angered
Me, but he prayed for them and appeased My wrath." The angels wept with
God, saying, "But where shall wisdom be found?" The heavens lamented:
"The godly man is perished out of the earth." The earth wept: "And
there is none upright among men." Stars, planets, sun, and moon wailed:
"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart," and God
praised Moses' excellence in the words: "Thou hast said of Me, 'The
Lord He is God: there is none else,' and therefore shall I say of thee,
'And there arose not a prophet in Israel like unto Moses.'" [955]
Among mortals, it was particularly Jochebed, Moses' mother, and Joshua,
his disciple, that deeply mourned Moses' death. They were not indeed
certain if Moses were dead, hence they sought him everywhere. Jochebed
went first to Egypt and said to that land, "Mizraim, Mizraim, hast thou
perchance seen Moses?" But Mizraim replied, "As truly as thou livest,
Jochebed, I have not seen him since the day when he slew all the
firstborn here." Jochebed then betook herself to the Nile, saying,
"Nile, Nile, hast thou perchance seen Moses?" But Nile replied, "As
truly as thou livest, Jochebed, I have not seen Moses since the day
when he turned my water to blood." Then Jochebed went to the sea and
said, "Sea, sea, hast thou perchance seen Moses?" The sea replied, "As
truly as thou livest, Jochebed, I have not seen him since the day when
he led the twelve tribes through me." Jochebed thereupon went to the
desert and said, "Desert, desert, hast thou perchance seen Moses?" The
desert replied, "As truly as thou livest, Jochebed, I have not seen him
since the day whereupon he caused manna to rain down upon me." Then
Jochebed went to Sinai, and said, "Sinai, Sinai, hast thou perchance
seen Moses?" Sinai said, "As truly as thou livest, Jochebed, I have not
seen him since the day whereon he descended from me with the two tables
of the law." Jochebed finally went to the rock and said, "Rock, rock,
hast thou perchance seen Moses?" The rock replied, "As truly as thou
livest, I have not seen him since the day when with his staff he twice
smote me." [956]
Joshua, too, sought his teacher Moses in vain, and in his grief for
Moses' disappearance he rent his garments, and crying aloud, called
ceaselessly, "'My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the
horsemen thereof.' 'But where shall wisdom be found?'" But God said to
Joshua: "How long wilt thou continue to seek Moses in vain? He is dead,
but indeed it is I that have lost him, and not thou." [957]